Library  of  Courtney  C.  Tlagg. 

Stronghurst,  111..  19O  .. 

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"Volume! 


q  ' 


A  DASH    FOR  A  THRONE 


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During  the  Spring  and  Summer  of  1 899  the  New  Amsterdam  Book 
Company  will  publish  a  New  Edition  of  Clark  Russell's  greatest  story, 
"  The  Copsford  Hystery,"  Grant  Allan's  "  Under  Sealed  Orders," 

and  some  other  popular  novels  by  well  known  authors,  which  have  heretofore 
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They  will  start  the  series  with 

By  Right  of  Sword 

BY 

ARTHUR  W.  riARCHriONT 

Fully  Illustrated,  Paper  Cover,  500.,  Cloth,  $1.25. 

This  deservedly  popular  military  novel  has  already  gone  through  six 
editions  in  cloth,  and  the  advance  orders  for  it  in  its  new  form  bid  fair  to 
eclipse  its  former  success. 

Ready  early  in  February. 


UK    RAISKl)    HIS    RIGHT    HANI)    ON     HIGH. 


A  Dash 

For  a  Throne 


By.... 

Arthur  W.  Marchmont 

Author  of 
"  By  Right  of  Sword,"  etc. 


D.  Murray  Smith 


NEW    AMSTERDAM    BOOK    COMPANY,   NEW    YORK 

HUTCHINSON   &   CO.,    LONDON 

1899 


COPYRIGHT,  1899,  BY 
NEW  AMSTERDAM  BOOK  COMPANY 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  My  Death 9 

II.  A  Gate  of  Life, 20 

III.  "As  Your  Highness  Will." 33 

IV.  "You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now."        .         .         .46 
V.  The  Scent  of  Treachery, 57 

VI.  "My  Cousin," 69 

VII.  At  Munich 81 

VIII.  Praga's  Story 94 

IX.  My  Plan  of  Campaign,      ......   105 

X.  A  Council  of  Conspiracy, 115 

XI.  "Even  One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom,"    .         .   127 
XII.  My  Scheme  Develops,        ......  139 

XIII.  A  Check .152 

XIV.  The  Abduction,          ...  ...  164 

XV.  A  Treacherous  Attack 175 

XVI.  The  Ball  at  the  Palace, 187 

XVII.  Checkmate, 198 

XVIII.  After  the  Abduction 207 

XIX.  The  Maid's  Story, 219 

XX.  Covering  My  Defeat, 229 

XXI.   News  of  Minna, 239 

XXII.  At  Landsberg 249 

XXIII.  The  Pursuit 260 

XXIV.  The  Meeting 272 

XXV.  "I  am  Not  the  Prince," 283 

XXVI.   Flight 296 

XXVII.  An  Old  Enemy 309 

XXVIII.  The  Emperor,    .  ....  323 

XXIX.  Count  von  Rudloff,  .         .         .    '    .         .         .         .336 

XXX.  The  End 343 


LIST    OF    ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

He  flung  his  wine  right  at  my  face, n 

She  turned  and  bowed  to  me  with  a  smile,       .        .        .        .50 

Grasping  my  stick  with  both  hands,  I  clenched  my  teeth,  and 
rushed  upon  the  villains  from  behind 91 

He  raised  his  right  hand  on  high, 124 

I  leaned  out  as  far  as  I  dared,  and,  taking  careful  aim,  fired,  .  184 

Instead  of  Minna,  the  face  of  Clara  Weylin  met  mine,    .        .  206 

"I  was  thinking— cousin," 288 

The  horse  had  fallen  on  him  and  rolled  over  him,  .        .        .  293 


2136987 


A   DASH    FOR    A    THRONE 


CHAPTER  I 

MY    DEATH 

"To  a  man  who  has  been  dead  nearly  five  years 
everything  would  be  forgiven,  probably — except  his 
resurrection." 

This  half-cynical  thought  was  suggested  by  the  ex- 
traordinary change  which  a  few  hours  of  one  memo- 
rable July  day  had  wrought  in  my  circumstances  and 
position. 

As  the  thought  occurred  to  me  I  was  standing  in  the 
library  of  Gramberg  Castle,  my  hands  plunged  deep 
in  my  pockets,  deliberately  dallying  with  my  fate,  as 
I  watched  the  black  dress  of  the  Prince's  beautiful 
daughter  moving  slowly  among  the  gayly  colored  flow- 
er-beds in  the  warm  sunshine,  like  a  soothing  shadow 
in  the  brilliant  glare. 

I  was  face  to  face  with  a  temptation  which  I  found 
infinitely  alluring  and  immeasurably  difficult  to  re- 
sist. 

For  five  years  I  had  been  enduring  an  existence  of 
monotonous  emptiness,  that  depressed  me  till  my  heart 
ached  and  my  spirit  wearied;  and  now  a  chance  of 
change  had  been  thrust  upon  me,  all  against  my  seek- 
ing, at  which  my  pulses  were  beating  high  with  the 


io  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

bound  of  hope,  my  blood  running  once  again  with  the 
old  quick  tingling  of  excitement,  and,  through  the  re- 
opened portals  of  a  life  akin  to  that  from  which  I  had 
been  thrust,  desire,  ambition,  pleasure,  hazard,  were 
all  beckoning  to  me  with  fascinating  invitation. 

I  turned  from  the  window  and  threw  myself  into  a 
deep  easy-chair  to  think. 

Five  years  before  I  had  passed  in  a  moment  from 
a  position  of  Royal  favor,  with  limitless  ambition  and 
opportunities,  to  one  where  death  was  avowedly  the 
only  alternate. 

And  no  one  had  recognized  this  more  readily  than  I 
myself. 

I  am  half  English  by  birth.  My  mother  was  an  Eng- 
lish woman,  and  went  to  the  Prussian  Court  in  the 
small  suite  of  the  bride  whom  "  Unser  Fritz  "  carried 
from  England.  My  father  rose  very  high  in  Royal 
favor,  and,  as  a  consequence,  I  was  thrown  early  in 
life  in  the  company  of  the  young  Princes.  We  grew 
up  close  and  intimate  companions ;  and  when  I  chose 
the  navy  for  my  profession  every  facility  was  em- 
ployed to  insure  my  advancement.  I  had  been  about 
five  years  in  the  navy,  and  was  already  a  flag-lieuten- 
ant, when  the  smash  came.  Happily  my  father  and 
mother  were  both  dead  then. 

We  were  not  puritans  in  those  days,  and  there  were 
some  wild  times.  The  last  of  these  in  which  I  took  a 
part  finished  up  on  the  Imperial  yacht;  and  a  wild 
enough  time  it  was. 

I  had  drunk  much  more  freely  than  the  rest — there 
were  only  some  half-dozen  of  us  altogether — and  then, 
being  a  quarrelsome,  hot-headed  fool,  I  took  fire  at 
some  words  that  fell  from  the  Prince,  and  I  gave  him 
the  lie  direct.  Exactly  what  happened  I  don't  clearly 


HE    FLUNG    HIS   WINE    RIGHT   AT    MY    FACE. 


My   Death  n 

remember ;  but  I  know  that  he  flung  his  wine  right  at 
my  face,  and  I,  forgetting  entirely  that  he  was  at  once 
my  future  Emperor  and  my  commanding  officer, 
clenched  my  fist  and  struck  him  a  violent  blow  in  the 
face  which  knocked  him  down.  He  hit  his  head  in 
falling,  and  lay  still  as  death.  We  thought  at  first 
he  was  dead.  What  followed  can  be  imagined.  I  can- 
not describe  it.  It  sobered  the  lot  of  us ;  and  our  re- 
lief when  we  found  he  was  not  dead,  but  only  stunned, 
cannot  be  put  in  words. 

He  was  lifted  up  and  laid  on  the  table,  his  face  all 
ghastly  gray- white,  save  where  the  mark  of  my  blow 
on  the  cheek  stood  out  red  and  livid — a  sight  I  shall 
never  forget. 

When  the  doctor  came  we  told  him  the  Prince  had 
had  an  ugly  fall,  and,  as  soon  as  he  showed  signs  of 
coming  round,  I  left  and  went  off  to  my  ship,  in  a  con- 
dition of  pitiable  consternation  and  remorse. 

I  nearly  shot  myself  that  night.  I  took  out  my  re- 
volver twice  and  laid  it  between  my  teeth,  and  was 
only  stopped  by  the  consideration  that,  if  I  did  it,  my 
suicide  would  be  connected  with  the  affair,  and  some 
garbled  account  of  the  brawl  and  of  what  was  behind 
it  would  leak  out. 

The  next  day  old  Count  von  Augener,  who  had  been 
telegraphed  for,  came  to  my  cabin.  He  hated  me  as 
he  had  hated  my  father,  and  I  knew  it. 

The  interview  was  brief  enough,  and  he  sounded  the 
keynote  in  the  sentence  with  which  he  opened  it. 

"You  are  still  alive,  lieutenant?"  he  said,  bending 
on  me  a  piercing  look  from  under  his  shaggy,  beetling 
brows. 

"  Say  what  you  have  to  say,  and  be  good  enough  to 
keep  from  taunts,"  I  answered,  and  then  told  him  the 


12  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

thought  that  alone  had  stopped  me  from  shooting  my- 
self. 

He  listened  in  silence,  and  at  the  close  nodded. 

"You  have  enough  wit  when  the  wine's  out,  and  you 
understand  what  you  have  done.  Were  you  other  than 
you  are,  you  would  be  tried  by  court-martial  and  shot. 
But  your  act  is  worse  than  that  of  a  mutineer — you  are 
a  coward  "—I  started  to  my  feet — "  because  you  have 
struck  a  man  you  know  cannot  demand  satisfaction. " 

I  sank  again  into  my  chair  and  covered  my  face  in 
shame,  for  the  taunt  was  true.  But  to  have  it  thus 
flung  at  me  ruthlessly  was  worse  than  a  red-hot  brand 
plunged  into  my  flesh. 

The  old  man  stopped  and  looked  at  me,  pleased  that 
he  had  thus  tortured  me. 

"  There  is  but  one  course  open  to  you.  You  know 
that? " 

"  I  know  it,"  I  answered  sullenly. 

"  Only  one  reparation  you  can  make.  Your  death 
can  appear  to  be  either  accidental  or  natural — anyhow, 
provided  that  it  is  at  once.  You  can  have  a  week ; 
after  that,  if  you  are  alive,  you  will  die  an  infamous 
death." 

"I  understand,"  I  replied,  rising  as  he  rose.  "Will 
you  give  my  assurance  to  the  Prince  and  the  Emperor 
that  ..." 

"I  am  no  tale-bearer,  sir,"  he  answered  sternly. 
"The  one  desire  now  is  to  forget  that  you  ever  lived." 
And  flinging  these  harsh  words  at  me,  he  left  me  hu- 
miliated, ashamed,  angry,  and  impotently  remorseful. 

Not  another  word  should  pass  my  lips.  How  should 
I  die?  It  was  not  so  easy  as  it  seemed.  A  fatal  acci- 
dent to  appear  genuine  called  for  clever  stage-manag'e- 
ment,  and  I  did  not  see  how  to  arrange  matters. 


My   Death  13 

I  applied  for  leave,  and  went  to  Berlin.  There  was 
one  man  there  who  could  help  me — old  Dr.  Mein.  He 
was  a  bachelor  recluse,  an  Englishman  who  had  been 
naturalized,  and  in  the  old  days  he  had  been  in  love 
with  my  mother.  It  was  she  who  told  me  the  tale  just 
before  her  death,  when  urging  me  to  trust  him  should 
I  ever  find  myself  in  need  of  an  absolutely  reliable, 
level-headed  friend.  I  knew  that  he  loved  me  for  the 
English  blood  in  my  veins.  I  told  him  what  I  had 
to  do;  but  at  first  did  not  mention  the  cause.  He 
listened  intently,  questioned  me  shrewdly,  and  then 
stopped  to  think. 

"  You  want  me  to  murder  you,  or  at  least  give  you 
the  means  of  murdering  yourself  ? "  he  said  bluntly. 

"  If  you  don't  help  me,  I  shall  do  it  without  you, 
that's  all,"  I  returned. 

He  paused  again  to  think,  pursing  up  his  lips,  and 
fixing  his  keen  blue  eyes  upon  me. 

"  I  have  loved  you  like  my  own  son,  and  you  ask  me 
to  kill  you? " 

"  My  mother  would  have  had  me  come  to  you,  be- 
cause I  am  in  trouble. " 

"  You  have  no  right  to  be  in  trouble.  You  are  no 
fool.  You  have  all  your  father's  wealth — millions  of 
marks;  you  have  your  mother's  English  blood — which 
is  much  better ;  you  have  her  brains — which  is  best  of 
all ;  you  have  a  noble  profession — the  sea ;  you  enjoy 
the  Imperial  favor  and  friendship — a  slippery  honor, 
maybe ;  and  you  are  certain  of  rapid  promotion  to  al- 
most any  height  you  please.  Why,  then,  should  you 
want  to  die? " 

"  Because  I  have  sacrificed  everything  by  my  reckless 
temper,"  I  answered,  and  told  him  what  had  happened. 
"I  have  no  option  but  to  die,"  I  concluded.  "If  you 


14  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

will  not  help  me "  I  broke  the  sentence  and  got  up 

to  go. 

"I  didn't  say  I  wouldn't  help  you — I  will."  I  sat 
down  again.  "  You  don't  care  how  you  die,  so  long  as 
it's  quickly? "  I  shook  my  head.  "Very  well.  I  have 
in  my  laboratory  the  bacilli  of  a  deadly  fever.  I  will 
inject  the  virus  into  your  veins.  In  three  days  you 
will  be  in  the  fever's  grip,  and  in  less  than  a  week  you 
will  be  dead."  I  took  off  my  coat  and  bared  my  arms 
to  show  my  readiness.  "  I  make  only  one  condition. 
You  must  be  ill  here ;  I  must  watch  the  progress  of 
the  experiment. " 

"  Nothing  will  suit  me  better,"  I  returned. 

He  made  the  injection  there  and  then,  and  gave  me 
two  days  to  be  away  and  wind  up  my  affairs ;  and  when 
I  returned  to  him  he  made  another  injection  and  put 
me  to  bed.  That  night  I  was  in  a  raging  fever.  All 
the  paraphernalia  of  a  sick-bed  were  soon  in  evidence, 
and  the  following  day  it  was  known  all  over  Berlin 
that  the  wealthy  young  Count  von  Rudloff  was  down 
in  the  grip  of  a  fever  at  the  house  of  a  once  well- 
known  physician,  Dr.  Mein.  The  little  house  was  be- 
sieged with  callers.  A  few  only  were  admitted.  Von 
Augener  was  one,  and  he  brought  with  him  the  Court 
physician. 

I  grew  worse  rapidly,  and  only  in  intermittent 
gleams  of  intelligence  was  I  conscious  of  the  lean, 
grizzled  face  and  watchful  blue  eyes  of  the  doctor 
bending  over  me,  assuring  me  that  I  was  a  most  inter- 
esting case,  and  rapidly  growing  worse.  For  three 
days  this  continued,  until  in  a  moment  of  consciousness 
I  heard  him  say  to  the  nurse : 

"  He  cannot  last  through  the  night,"  and  the  woman 
turned  and  looked  sympathetically  toward  the  bed. 


My  Death  15 

I  tried  to  speak,  but  could  not.  I  could  scarcely 
move ;  but  they  noticed  my  restlessness,  and  the  doc- 
tor came  and  bent  over  me. 

"  Am  I  dying  ?  "  I  whispered. 

"Yes.     You  must  have  courage.     You  are  dying." 

"  I  am  glad.     Thank  you.     I  have  no  pain." 

He  turned  away,  and  after  a  moment  gave  me  my 
medicine.  Then  with  a  touch  soft  like  a  woman's  he 
smoothed  the  bedclothes,  and  bending  down  put  his 
lips  to  my  forehead,  and  left  me  glad,  as  I  had  said, 
that  the  end  had  come  thus  calmly. 

I  must  have  become  unconscious  again  almost  di- 
rectly after  that,  for  I  know  nothing  of  what  happened 
until  I  awoke  gradually  and  found  myself  in  a  place 
that  was  pitch  dark.  I  was  lying  on  the  floor,  though 
it  felt  soft  like  a  mattress,  and  when  I  stretched  out 
my  arm  I  touched  a  wall  that  was  soft  like  the  floor. 

I  was  quick  in  jumping  to  a  conclusion.  The  doctor 
had  fooled  me,  and  probably  had  fooled  everybody 
else,  about  my  illness  and  death.  If  I  had  ever  been 
ill,  I  was  quite  well  now,  and  I  scrambled  up  and 
strode  about  the  place,  feeling  all  the  walls  and  floor 
and  everything  within  my  reach.  I  soon  knew  where 
I  was.  It  was  the  old  fellow's  padded  room.  I  knew, 
too,  that  I  could  do  no  good  by  struggling  or  shouting 
or  trying  to  get  out  of  it.  I  must  wait,  and  I  sat  down 
on  the  floor  to  think. 

After  what  seemed  like  many  hours  an  electric  light 
was  switched  on,  and  I  saw  a  sheet  of  paper  pinned  to 
the  wall.  It  was  a  letter  from  the  doctor. 

"  I  have  done  what  your  mother  would  have  wished. 
You  have  the  makings  of  a  real  man  in  you,  and  you 
must  not  die.  Every  one  thinks  you  dead ;  and  not  a  soul 
suspects.  Your  funeral  took  place  yesterday,  amid  all 


1 6  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

the  pomp  of  Court  mourning;  and  all  the  papers  to- 
day are  full  of  descriptions  of  your  career,  your  illness, 
death,  and  funeral.  But  you  will  live  to  do  yourself 
justice ;  if  need  be,  in  another  name.  Your  next  career 
you  must  make,  however,  and  not  merely  inherit.  But 
you  are  your  mother's  son,  and  will  not  flinch." 

The  old  man  had  known  me  better  than  I  knew  my- 
self. I  had  been  glad  to  die ;  but  the  pulse  of  life  runs 
strong  in  the  twenties ;  and  the  shrewd  old  beggar  was 
right.  Half  an  hour  later  I  was  glad  to  live ;  and  when 
he  came  to  me  I  was  quite  ready  to  thank  him  for  what 
he  had  done. 

We  had  a  long  talk  about  my  future,  and  he  urged 
me  to  go  to  England. 

"  You  can  be  an  Englishman ;  indeed,  you  are  one 
already.  Your  family  must  have  rich  and  powerful 
friends  there ;  and  there  you  can  make  a  career. " 

But  I  would  not  give  my  assent.  I  had  no  plans, 
and  was  in  the  mood  to  make  none. 

"I  will  see,"  I  answered.  "  I  am  a  dead  man,  and 
the  dead  are  more  the  concern  of  Providence  than  the 
living.  I  will  drift  for  a  while  in  the  back  waters,"  and 
I  shrugged  my  shoulders. 

I  made  no  plans.  That  night  I  left  Berlin,  and  as 
the  train  whirled  me  southward  I  tried  with  resolute 
hand  to  make  the  barrier  that  shut  out  the  old  life  so 
bullet-proof  that  not  even  the  stinging  thoughts  of  im- 
potent remorse  and  regret  could  wound  me.  I  was 
only  human,  however,  and  barely  twenty-three;  and 
the  sorrow  of  my  loneliness  was  like  a  cankered  wound. 
I  felt  like  a  shipwrecked  derelict  waif  on  the  wide  cal- 
lous sea  of  stranger  humanity. 

And  like  a  derelict  I  drifted  for  a  while,  and  acci- 
dent determined  a  course  for  me.  At  Frankfort,  where 


My  Death  17 

I  stayed  a  considerable  time,  a  chance  meeting  in  a 
hotel  gave  me  as  a  companion  an  actor,  and  in  his 
room  at  the  theatre  one  night  he  asked  me  if  I  would 
care  to  join  his  company.  All  life  was  to  be  but  a 
burlesque  for  me,  and,  as  it  seemed  the  training  might 
be  useful,  I  consented. 

I  threw  myself  into  the  mimic  business  with  ardor, 
and  stayed  with  the  company  four  years.  Under  the 
guise  of  professional  enthusiasm  I  became  a  past  mas- 
ter in  the  art  of  making  up,  and  altered  my  appearance 
completely.  I  changed  my  voice  until  it  was  two  full 
tones  lower  than  by  nature,  and  I  practised  an  expres- 
sion and  accent  altogether  unlike  my  own.  Under  the 
tuition  of  a  clever  old  acrobat,  who  had  deformed  him- 
self until  he  was  past  work,  I  changed  entirely  the 
character  of  my  walk  and  carriage.  I  cultivated  assidu- 
ously marked  peculiarities  of  gesture  and  manner ;  and 
by  constant  massage  even  the  contour  of  my  features 
was  altered,  and  lines  and  wrinkles  were  brought  with 
results  that  astonished  me. 

After  some  three  years  of  this  I  tested  these  results 
by  a  visit  to  the  only  man  who  knew  me  to  be  alive — 
Dr.  Mein.  I  wished  him  to  know  what  I  was  doing, 
but  was  not  willing  to  trust  the  secret  on  paper.  I 
went  to  him  in  my  professional  name,  Heinrich  Fisch- 
er, and  consulted  him  for  about  half  an  hour  about 
an  imaginary  complaint,  without  his  having  an  idea  of 
my  identity.  Once  or  twice  he  looked  at  me  with  an 
expression  of  rather  doubting  inquiry ;  but  he  did  not 
know  me.  He  wrote  me  a  prescription,  and,  rising  to 
go,  I  laid  a  fee  on  his  table. 

Then  I  lingered  on,  and  he  glanced  at  me  in  polite 
surprise.  I  smiled;  and  he  fixed  his  little  glittering 
eyes  on  mine  steadily,  as  if  I  were  a  lunatic. 

2 


1 8  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

"  Have  you  any  more  bacilli  to  spare,  doctor?  "  I  whis- 
pered. 

A  start,  a  quick  frown,  and  the  closing  together  of 
his  eyebrows  showed  his  surprise.  Then  he  wheeled 
me  round  to  the  light. 

"Are  you ?" 

He  stopped  short,  his  face  alight  with  doubt  and 
interrogation. 

"I  am  Heinrich  Fischer,  an  actor — now,"  I  replied. 

The  last  word  was  quite  enough,  and  the  tough  old 
man  almost  broke  down  in  the  delight  of  recognition. 
When  I  explained  to  him  the  elaborate  processes  by 
which  I  had  changed  my  figure,  looks,  ?.nd  voice,  he 
grew  intensely  interested  in  me  as  a  strange  experi- 
ment, and  declared  that  not  a  soul  in  all  the  world 
would  recognize  me. 

My  visit  was  a  brief  one,  though  he  pressed  me 
earnestly  to  stay  with  him ;  and  when  I  would  not  he 
said  he  would  come  to  me  at  Frankfort,  and  that  I 
must  be  his  adopted  son.  But  he  never  came,  and  we 
never  met  again.  A  letter  or  two  passed  between  us 
— I  had  altered  even  my  handwriting — and  then  a  year 
later  came  the  news  to  me  that  he  was  dead — had  died 
suddenly  in  the  midst  of  his  work — and  that  I  was  left 
his  heir. 

This  again  'changed  my  life,  for  his  fortune  gave  me 
abundant  means ;  and  as  I  considered  my  actor  train- 
ing had  been  sufficient,  I  resolved  to  close  that  chapter 
of  my  life. 

It  would  have  been  a  commonplace  affair  enough, 
with  an  accompaniment  of  nothing  more  than  a  few 
mutual  personal  regrets,  but  for  one  incident.  One 
of  the  actresses — a  handsome,  passionate  woman, 
named  Clara  Weylin — had  done  me  the  quite  unso- 


My  Death  19 

licited  honor  to  fall  violently  in  love  with  me;  and 
when,  at  the  time  of  parting,  I  could  not  tell  her  that 
we  should  ever  meet  again — for  I  had  not  the  least  in- 
tention or  wish  to  do  so — she  was  first  tearful,  then 
hysterical,  and  at  last  vindictively  menacing. 

"There's  a  secret  about  you,  Fischer,"  she  cried  pas- 
sionately. "  I've  always  thought  so ;  and,  mark  me,  I'll 
find  it  out  some  day;  and  then  you'll  remember  this, 
and  your  treatment  of  Clara  Weylin.  Look  to  yourself. " 

I  tried  to  reason  away  her  somewhat  theatrical  re- 
sentment, but  she  interpreted  my  words  as  an  indi- 
cation that  she  had  struck  home ;  and  she  flung  away, 
with  a  toss  of  the  head,  another  threat,  and  a  look  of 
bitter  anger.  I  thought  no  more  of  the  incident  then 
— though  afterward  I  had  occasion  enough  to  recall  it ; 
and  when  the  evening  brought  me  a  letter  from  her, 
couched  in  very  loving  terms,  I  tossed  it  into  the  fire 
with  a  feeling  akin  to  contempt.  The  next  morning 
I  left  the  town  early,  and  was  off  on  a  purposeless  and 
once  more  planless  ramble. 

With  the  stage  I  dropped  also  my  stage  name,  for  I 
had  no  wish  to  be  known  as  an  ex-play-actor;  and  as 
the  old  doctor's  original  counsel  chanced  to  occur  to 
me,  I  turned  English.  I  now  let  my  beard  and  mus- 
taches grow;  and  I  was  satisfied  that,  with  my  changed 
carriage  and  looks,  not  a  soul  in  the  whole  fatherland 
would  recognize  in  Henry  Fisher,  a  sober-looking  Eng- 
lish gentleman,  travelling  for  pleasure  and  literary 
purposes,  the  once  well-known  and  dashing  naval  lieu- 
tenant and  Court  favorite,  the  Count  von  Rudloff. 

I  moved  from  point  to  point  aimlessly  for  some 
months  until  the  vapid,  vacuous  monotony  of  the  exist- 
ence sickened  and  appalled  me.  Then  suddenly  chance 
or  Fate  opened  a  gate  of  life. 


CHAPTER  II 

A    GATE    OF    LIFE 

I  WAS  droning  in  the  small  Rhine  town  Hamnel, 
close  to  Kehl,  and  struck  up  a  casual  acquaintance  with 
a  man  of  about  my  own  age,  named  von  Fromberg,  to 
whom  I  had  been  at  first  attracted  somewhat  by  the 
fact  that  in  some  respects  he  resembled  myself.  It 
happened,  too,  that  one  night  I  was  able  to  render  him 
a  little  service. 

I  was  walking  late  near  the  river  when  he  came 
rushing  up  to  me  to  beg  me  to  help  him  against  the 
attack  of  a  couple  of  men  who  were  running  after  him 
with  some  angry  threats.  He  was  trembling  and  very 
much  excited,  although  there  did  not  seem  to  me  to 
be  much  cause  for  fear ;  for  the  men  sheered  off  as 
soon  as  they  saw  he  was  no  longer  alone. 

My  companion  was  greatly  agitated,  however,  and 
talked,  as  I  thought  very  absurdly,  about  my  having 
saved  his  life.  For  the  next  two  or  three  days  he 
would  scarcely  leave  my  side ;  and  during  that  time  he 
poured  into  my  ears  much  of  what  was  filling  his  soul. 
It  was  only  a  little  soul,  and  the  contents  mere  tags 
and  patches  of  dishevelled  passion  and  emotions, 
though  to  him  all  real  and  disturbing  enough. 

He  was  a  student  and  a  dreamer,  and  of  course  in 
love.  He  had  in  some  way  got  mixed  up  in  some 
brawling  with  the  men  who  I  had  seen  pursuing  him, 
and  the  whole  trouble  had  set  his  little  pulses  throb- 


A  Gate  of  Life  21 

bing  and  palpitating  with  the  fear  of  terrible  but  quite 
vague  consequences. 

He  told  me  also  his  love  troubles.  The  girl  he 
wished  to  marry  was  French,  and  while  his  people 
hated  the  French,  her  father  would  only  allow  him  to 
marry  the  daughter  if  he  would  become  a  Frenchman. 
And  mingled  up  with  all  this  was  a  strange  story  of 
family  complications.  The  pith  of  this  was  that  his 
uncle,  the  head  of  the  family,  the  Prince  von  Gram- 
berg,  a  well  enough  known  man,  had  written  to  urge 
him  to  go  at  once  to  the  castle,  declaring  that  his  in- 
stant presence  was  imperative.  Von  Fromberg  was 
thus  the  prey  of  three  sets  of  emotions — desire  to 
marry  the  French  girl ;  terror  of  the  men  he  had  in 
some  way  provoked ;  and  deadly  fear  that  his  uncle 
would  prevent  his  turning  French,  and  so  stop  his 
marriage.  The  last  disquieted  him  the  most. 

"He  has  never  seen  me,"  he  cried  quite  passion- 
ately, "never  even  given  a  thought  to  me,  till  I  sup- 
pose he  thinks  that,  as  his  son  is  now  dead,  I  can  be  of 
some  use  to  him.  And  he  is  such  a  fire-eating  old 
devil  he  would  think  nothing  of  kidnapping  me  and 
shutting  me  up  till  I  did  what  he  wanted,  and  gave 
up  my  marriage.  He  loathes  everything  French. " 

It  was  difficult  to  associate  von  Fromberg  with  any 
very  fire-eating  kith  and  kin,  but  I  sympathized 
vaguely,  and  soon  found  out  his  reasons  for  giving  me 
his  confidence.  He  wanted  me  to  help  him,  and  the 
request  took  a  singular  shape.  He  was  to  be  married, 
and  was  crossing  the  frontier  to  Charnes  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  and  as  he  was  very  fearful  of  interruption  and 
pursuit,  he  wished  me  to  remain  in  Hamnel  for  a 
couple  of  days  in  his  name. 

It   sounded   ridiculous,  and  of  course  I  demurred, 


22  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

pointing  to  a  dozen  difficulties  that  might  follow.  He 
pressed  me  very  strongly,  however,  until  I  had  to  tell 
him  pretty  curtly  that  I  would  do  nothing  of  the  sort. 
He  was  silent  a  minute  and  then  said : 

"  Of  course  it  must  be  as  you  please,  but  if  I  tell 
people  that  your  name  is  really  von  Fromberg  and 
mine  Fisher  it  will  not  hurt  any  one. " 

"I  shall  very  speedily  undeceive  them,"  I  answered 
promptly,  and  thought  little  more  about  the  matter. 
But  on  that  day  I  had  to  change  my  residence,  and  the 
next  morning  I  found  to  my  annoyance  that  he  had 
indeed  told  the  people  at  both  houses  that  my  name 
was  in  reality  von  Fromberg  and  his  Fisher. 

It  was  too  small  a  matter  to  make  a  fuss  about ;  and 
as  I  reflected  that  the  only  result  would  be  to  let  him 
get  married  with  fewer  fears,  I  kept  my  anger  till  we 
should  meet  again. 

But  I  little  foresaw  the  consequences. 

I  was  away  for  several  hours  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
day,  walking  and  sketching,  and  on  my  return  to  the 
house  at  night  I  thought  there  was  something  strange 
in  the  manner  of  a  servant  who  met  me  and  said  two 
gentlemen  were  waiting  for  me  in  my  room. 

"For  me?"  I  said,  with  some  astonishment;  for  I 
could  not  think  of  any  two  men  in  the  whole  empire 
likely  to  come  for  me. 

"  Yes,  sir,  for  you.  They  asked  for  you  first  as  Herr 
von  Fromberg,  then  as  Mr.  Fisher." 

"Some  more  tomfoolery,"  I  thought,  as  I  went  up 
the  stairs,  and  then  it  flashed  across  me  that  they 
might  be  connected  with  the  visit  von  Fromberg  had 
been  fearing. 

A  glance  at  the  two  men  who  rose  at  my  entrance 
showed  me  they  were  at  least  gentlemen — officers,  I 


A  Gate  of  Life  23 

thought,  in  mufti.  They  were  both  dark,  and  one — 
the  elder — carried  a  beard,  the  other  a  heavy  mus- 
tache only. 

"Good  evening,  gentlemen,"  I  said  quietly.  "To 
what  do  I  owe  the  favor  of  this  visit?  " 

I  was  disposed  to  be  on  my  guard  for  von  From- 
berg's  sake.  The  man  with  the  beard  answered. 

"  This  is  the  first  time  we  have  met,  Herr  von  From- 
berg.  My  name  is  von  Krugen,  and  my  friend's 
Steinitz." 

I  was  not  quite  sure  whether  to  repudiate  von  From- 
berg's  name  at  once,  or  to  wait  until  I  knew  more  of  the 
errand.  I  decided  that  it  could  do  no  harm  to  wait. 

"  And  your  object  in  coming?  "  I  asked. 

I  saw  a  glance  pass  between  the  two,  and  the  younger 
stepped  past  me  casually,  and  took  up  a  position  close 
to  the  door.  This  interested  me  at  once.  It  was  quite 
obviously  a  move  to  prevent  my  running  away.  They 
seemed  to  understand  von  Fromberg's  character. 

"  I  think  you  will  be  able  to  guess,"  he  replied,  wait- 
ing until  his  companion  had  carried  Dtit  the  manoeuvre. 
"  We  wish  to  have  a  little  private  conversation  with  you, 
and  to  induce  you  to  go  with  us — you  will  know  where. " 

"  And  to  make  sure  that  it  shall  be  private,  I  sup- 
pose you  got  your  friend  to  stand  over  there  by  the 
door,"  I  said,  motioning  toward  him. 

"A  merely  superfluous  caution,  I  am  sure,"  was  the 
answer,  given  with  a  smile ;  "  but  a  locked  door  always 
keeps  intruders  out." 

"And  prisoners  in,"  I  retorted. 

"True,  "he  assented,  with  another  smile.  "So  you 
may  as  well  lock  it,  Steinitz,"  and  this  was  done 
promptly. 

I  laughed.     I  had,  of  course,  nothing  to  fear. 


24  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"I  shouldn't  run  away,"  I  said.  "You  interest  me 
too  much,  though  what  on  earth  you  are  doing  here  I 
can't  for  the  life  of  me  guess." 

"  We  come  from  your  uncle,  the  Prince  von  Gram- 
berg,  and  I  am  specially  charged  to  tell  you  that  mat- 
ters of  the  deepest  moment,  involving  issues  of  life 
and  death,  make  it  absolutely  imperative  that  you 
should  go  with  us  to  the  castle  at  once." 

He  spoke  in  so  earnest  a  tone  that  his  words  pro- 
duced an  immediate  effect  upon  me.  I  had  no  right 
to  play  fast  and  loose  with  the  affairs  of  a  powerful 
family — and  the  Prince's  reputation  was  well  enough 
known  to  me.  Obviously  I  must  at  once  explain  the 
mistake  as  to  my  identity.  I  was  sorry  I  had  not  done 
so  at  once. 

"  You  are  speaking  in  error,  and  I  must  tell  you  be- 
fore you  say  another  word.  I  am  not  the  nephew  of 
the  Prince  von  Gramberg." 

"  I  am  aware  you  have  denied  yourself.  You  are 
Herr  von  Fromberg?  I  addressed  you  so  a  minute 
since." 

"  No.  My  name  is  not  von  From  berg,  but  Fisher. 
I  am  English. " 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  know  that.  They  told  me  that  you  pre- 
ferred to  be  called  that.  But  I  am  not  here  to  pay 
heed  to  small  preferences  of  the  kind.  These  are  no 
trifling  concerns." 

"They  are  no  concerns  of  mine  at  all,"  I  answered 
shortly.  "  And  now  that  I  have  explained  this,  have 
the  goodness  to  leave  my  rooms." 

I  turned  to  the  door  as  I  spoke,  but  the  man  stand- 
ing there  made  no  movement  at  all. 

"  Where,  then,  is  Herr  von  Fromberg? "  asked  the 
older  man,  with  incredulity  manifest  in  his  tone. 


A  Gate  of  Life  25 

"  I  cannot  tell  you.  I  believe  I  know,  but  I  am  not 
at  liberty  to  say." 

"  I  did  not  think  you  would  be,"  he  returned  dryly. 
"  But  are  you  prepared  to  go  to  the  castle  with 
us?  You  can  explain  afterward  that  we  have  taken 
you  there  wrongfully,"  he  added,  with  ironical  cour- 
tesy. 

"Certainly  I  am  not.1' 

I  spoke  warmly,  for  his  manner  irritated  me. 

"  Then  will  you  have  the  goodness  to  inform  me 
how  it  is  that  you  are  here  in  the  character  of  Herr 
von  Fromberg,  with  the  people  of  the  house  looking 
upon  you  as  that  gentleman,  and  yourself  answering 
to  the  name? " 

My  story  was  too  tame  and  lame  for  me  to  think  of 
telling  it.  I  took  shelter  behind  indignation. 

"  I  shall  certainly  give  no  explanation  which  is  de- 
manded of  me  by  those  who  have  forced  themselves 
into  my  room  and  hold  me  a  prisoner  in  it  in  this 
way,"  I  answered  hotly. 

"  Then  you  will  scarcely  be  surprised  that,  as  I  have 
been  informed  you  are  Herr  von  Fromberg,  and  you 
have  answered  to  the  name  to  me,  I  cannot  accept 
your  repudiation.  I  do  not  know  why  you  are  so  anx- 
ious to  deny  your  identity  and  to  keep  away  from  the 
great  position  that  has  opened  to  you  since  the  death 
of  the  Prince's  son." 

This  was  thrown  out  to  test  me. 

"  I  should  refuse  no  position  offered  to  me,  I  can 
assure  you,  if  it  were  offered  rightfully.  But  I  am 
not  the  Prince's  nephew." 

"  You  are  sufficiently  like  him  to  satisfy  me,  and  I'm 
a  good  deal  mistaken  if  you  have  not  a  good  deal  of 
his  Highness' s  spirit.  But  now  it  is  useless  to  talk  any 


26  Dash  for  a  Throne 

more  here.  You  will  go  with  us,  of  course?  he  asked 
abruptly. 

"  Of  course  I  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort. " 

"Very  well,  then,  I  suppose  we  must  go  alone. 
Steinitz!"  he  called  sharply,  jerking  his  head  as  if 
bidding  the  other  to  unlock  the  door ;  and  he  himself 
made  as  if  to  leave  the  room. 

My  back  was  to  the  second  man,  and  before  I  even 
suspected  treachery  he  sprang  upon  me  from  behind, 
pinioned  my  arms,  and  bound  them,  while  the  elder 
man  held  a  revolver  pointed  right  between  my  eyes. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  have  driven  me  to  do  this,"  he  said; 
"  for  I  am  perhaps  making  you  a  deadly  enemy  when 
I  would  rather  serve  you  with  my  life  if  necessary. 
But  my  master's  orders  are  imperative.  We  are  play- 
ing for  high  stakes  there,  and  have  to  throw  boldly  at 
times.  Your  presence  is  necessary  at  the  castle,  and 
my  instructions  are  to  take  you  there,  free  or  by  force. 
Will  you  go  without  compelling  me  to  use  force? " 

I  looked  calmly  at  his  revolver.  There  was  no  fear 
he  would  fire. 

"  We  can  scarcely  cross  the  empire  in  a  procession 
of  this  kind,"  I  said,  meeting  his  stern  look  with  a 
smile  and  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders. 

"We  shall  not  try,"  he  answered  promptly.  "We 
shall  go  as  doctors — you  as  a  mad  patient,  who  has  es- 
caped from  an  asylum.  I  have  come  prepared  with  the 
necessary  papers ;  and  I  need  not  remind  you  that  your 
own  actions  here  have  helped  this  plan. " 

"  I  tell  you  again  I  am  not  the  man  you  seek,"  I  cried 
angrily ;  for  I  saw  the  power  of  his  threat. 

"  I  take  my  chance  of  that.  You  can  explain  to  the 
Prince." 

"This  is  monstrously  ridiculous,"  I  exclaimed  hotly. 


A  Gate  of  Life  27 

"  There  are  a  thousand  proofs  here  in  this  room  that 
I  am  not  the  man  you  want.  Put  your  hand  in  my 
pocket  here  and  you  will  see  by  my  letters  that  I  am 
not." 

After  a  moment's  pause  he  did  so;  and  then,  too 
late,  I  remembered  von  Fromberg  had  given  me  one 
of  his  uncle's  letters  to  read  which  I  had  not  returned. 
The  man  chanced  to  take  it  out  first  and  held  it  up. 

"Your  own  proof,"  he  said  laconically,  and  thrust 
them  all  back  again. 

"You  are  making  fools  of  every  one  concerned,"  I 
cried,  very  angrily. 

"  Will  you  give  your  word  of  honor  to  go  with  us? " 
was  his  answer,  stolidly  spoken.  "  It  is  time  to 
start. " 

It  was  useless  to  fight  further,  so  with  another  shrug 
of  the  shoulders  I  gave  up. 

"  I  warn  you  the  whole  thing's  a  farce,  though  I 
can't  make  you  believe  it.  I'll  go  with  you;  but  you 
must  put  up  with  the  consequences. " 

In  another  moment  I  was  free,  and  he  was  profuse 
with  his  apologies. 

As  he  opened  the  door  to  leave  some  one  came  run- 
ning up  the  stairs  looking  hot  and  agitated.  To  my 
relief  it  was  von  Fromberg. 

"  How  is  it  you're  back  so  soon?  "  I  cried.  "  Never 
mind  how  it  is ;  you  come  in  the  nick  of  time  anyhow. 
This  is  Herr  von  Fromberg,  gentlemen.  These  gen- 
tlemen are  from  your  uncle,  and  wish  you  to  go  with 
them." 

"You  said  you  would  go  freely  with  us,  sir,"  whis- 
pered the  elder  man  at  my  side.  "You  gave,  your 
word  of  honor." 

"  But  this  is  the  man  you  want,"  I  cried,  pointing  to 


28  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

von  Fromberg,  who  was  staring  like  one  panic-stricken 
from  me  to  the  others. 

The  elder  man  turned  to  him. 

"  Are  you  the  Herr  von  Fromberg-?  " 

"Certainly  not,"  he  stammered,  with  a  quick  look  of 

appeal  to  me.  "  This  is "  He  quailed  before  the 

look  I  gave  him  and  stopped. 

"  You  are  not  going  to  deny  yourself,  man? "  I  cried. 

"Deny  myself,  von  Fromberg,"  he  answered,  with 
a  forced,  uneasy  laugh.  "  Why  should  I  ?  M)r  name  is 
Fisher.  Do  you  want  me?"  he  said  to  the  two. 

"Certainly  not.  Our  business  is  with  this  gentle- 
man. This  is  Herr  von  Fromberg,  is  it  not? " 

"Yes,  certainly,"  was  the  reply,  with  another  forced 
laugh. 

"  Now,  will  you  keep  your  word? "  said  the  man  in 
a  meaning  tone  to  me.  "  Or  will  you  compel  me  ..." 
He  did  not  finish  the  sentence. 

"Oh,  just  as  you  like.  Only  I  warn  you  it's  all  an 
infernal  blunder,"  and  with  that  I  went  with  them. 

At  the  bottom  of  the  stairs  I  turned  and  looked  up 
at  the  man  for  whom  I  was  mistaken.  He  nodded  and 
made  signs  to  me  as  if  thanking  me,  and  urging  me  to 
keep  up  the  deception. 

I  said  not  a  word  more,  but  went  with  the  two  men 
in  dogged  silence.  When  we  reached  the  station,  I 
flung  myself  into  a  corner  of  the  railway  carriage,  my 
companions  mounting  guard  over  me,  one  at  my  side, 
the  other  in  the  opposite  corner. 

We  travelled  through  the  night,  changing  trains 
more  than  once — sometimes  travelling  at  express 
speed,  sometimes  crawling,  and  now  and  again  mak- 
ing long  stops  at  junctions.  I  scarcely  spoke,  except 
to  protest  that  it  was  all  a  fool's  journey;  and  when 


A  Gate  of  Life  29 

the  elder  man  attempted  to  talk  to  me,  I  stopped  him 
peremptorily,  saying  that  as  a  stranger  I  had  not 
the  least  wish  to  learn  anything  of  the  family's  af- 
fairs. I  would  not  hear  a  word  until  we  reached  the 
castle. 

There,  however,  a  surprise  awaited  me  that  pierced 
the  shell  of  my  apathy  in  an  instant,  and  filled  me  with 
a  sudden  longing  to  go  on  with  the  strange  part  for 
which  my  companions  had  thus  cast  me. 

The  greatest  deference  was  shown  to  me  on  my  ar- 
rival, and  I  was  ushered  into  a  large  and  lofty  room, 
while  the  elder  man  went  to  inform  the  Prince  of  my 
arrival,  the  younger  man  remaining  with  me. 

The  castle  was  certainly  magnificent;  and  I  could 
not  refrain  from  an  intense  wish  that  I  were  indeed 
the  heir  to  such  a  glorious  place  and  position.  My 
thoughts  slipped  back  to  the  old  life  that  I  had  thrown 
away,  contrasting  it  with  the  mockery  of  my  stale, 
humdrum  existence,  and  I  asked  myself  what  I  would 
not  give  for  such  a  career  as  I  felt  I  could  build  out  of 
the  materials  Fortune  had  now  shovelled  into  my  lap 
with  this  taunting  munificence. 

Then  I  saw  from  the  window  a  young  golden-haired 
girl,  standing  among  the  flower-beds.  She  was  dressed 
all  in  black,  the  exquisitely  beautiful  and  regular  fea- 
tures set  and  saddened  with  an  expression  of  profound 
grief  and  melancholy.  She  was  holding  some  freshly 
plucked  roses  in  her  hand,  and  after  she  had  plucked 
one  or  two  others  a  serving-maid  approached  and  said 
something  to  her;  and  she  turned  and  looked  toward 
the  window  at  which  I  stood.  Probably  mere  curios- 
ity was  the  motive,  but  to  me  it  seemed  as  if  the  look 
were  instinct  with  anxiety,  doubt,  and  appeal. 

Suddenly  I  saw  her  start  and  glance  round ;  and  if 


30  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

ever  a  face  told  of  fear  and  repulsion  hers  did,  for  all 
the  struggle  that  her  pride  made  to  repress  the  evi- 
dence of  her  emotion,  and  to  force  up  a  smile  to  cover 
an  aching  heart. 

Then  I  saw  the  cause  of  the  change. 

A  man  came  into  view,  and  my  heart  gave  a  great 
leap  of  anger  that  had  long  slumbered.  I  had  known 
him  in  the  old  life  for  the  falsest  scoundrel  that  ever 
cheated  a  friend  or  ruined  a  woman.  The  mere  sight 
of  him  set  me  on  fire.  He  had  dealt  me  a  foul  and 
treacherous  wrong,  and  when  I  had  sought  him  to  call 
him  to  account  he  had  fled,  and  I  could  never  trace 
him. 

I  watched  him  now  as  he  spoke  to  the  girl,  and  my 
old  hate  awoke  till  I  could  have  found  it  in  me  to  rush 
out  there  and  then  to  cast  his  foulness  in  his  face  and 
choke  his  life  out  of  him.  And  my  brow  gathered 
in  an  angry  scowl  as  I  watched  the  girl's  struggle 
between  pride  and  loathing  when  she  answered  him, 
and  shrank  back  from  the  sensual  brute  stare  of  his 
eyes. 

As  soon  as  I  could  keep  my  voice  steady  I  called  my 
companion  to  the  window. 

"  Who  are  those?  "  I  asked. 

"The  Countess  Minna,  the  Prince's  only  daughter, 
now  his  only  child.  It  is  she  who,  under  heaven,  will 
be  the  Queen  of " 

He  checked  himself  when  he  caught  my  look  of  in- 
tense surprise. 

"  And  the  man.     Who  is  he?  " 

"The  Co'unt  von  Nauheim,  her  future  husband." 

"God  help  her,  then,"  said  I,  with  involuntary 
fervor. 

My  companion  started  and  looked  at  me. 


A   Gate  of  Life  31 

"  Do  you  know " 

"I  know  nothing,"  I  replied  very  curtly.  "These 
are  no  concerns  of  mine.  But  I  can  read  a  face. "  He 
looked  at  me  searchingly,  but  I  had  taken  my  watch 
out  and  was  playing  with  the  guard.  "This  Prince 
seems  a  devil  of  a  long  time  sending  for  me.  If  he 
keeps  me  much  longer  I  shall  lose  my  train  back." 

I  spoke  indifferently,  and  threw  myself  into  a  chair 
to  think. 

I  sat  a  long  time  buried  in  these  old  rustled  reflec- 
tions, until  the  chain  of  thought  was  snapped  abruptly, 
and  I  sprang  to  my  feet  as  a  great  cry  ran  through  the 
castle,  and  the  sound  of  a  woman's  sobbing. 

"  What's  that? "  I  asked  of  the  man  with  me,  who 
had  changed  color  and  was  manifestly  disturbed. 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  he  said,  after  a  long  pause, 
during  which  he  went  and  stood  by  the  door,  as  if 
doubting  whether  I  might  try  to  leave. 

The  sounds  of  confusion  in  the  castle  increased. 
Servants  were  hurrying  in  all  directions ;  but  no  one 
came  to  us. 

Later  on  the  toll  of  a  heavy  bell  sounded  with  vi- 
brating echoes  through  the  hot,  heavy,  sleepy  air.  A 
minute  after  it  was  repeated;  and  before  the  sound 
had  died  away  the  elder  of  the  two  men  came  back 
into  the  room.  He  was  deadly  pale,  and  so  agitated 
that  his  voice  trembled.  He  approached  me  and 
bowed  with  signs  of  deep  respect. 

"  I  bring  you  the  worst  of  news.  The  Prince  is 
dead;  and  your  Highness  is  master  in  his  stead." 

"Dead!"  I  cried,  in  the  profoundest  astonishment. 

"  He  was  stricken  this  morning,  and  lay  dying  when 
we  entered  the  castle.  And  he  was  dead  before  your 
Highness  could  be  summoned." 


32  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

A  protest  leapt  to  my  lips.  But  I  did  not  give  it 
utterance.  The  thought  of  the  girl  I  had  seen,  the 
Countess  Minna,  left  helpless  in  the  power  of  that  con- 
summate villain  von  Nauheim,  silenced  me.  I  would 
wait  until  at  least  I  had  time  to  think  out  a  course  of 
action. 


CHAPTER  III 

"  AS   YOUR    HIGHNESS   WILL  " 

THE  perplexing  difficulty  of  my  position  was  ex- 
treme. The  eyes  of  both  men  were  fixed  on  me,  not- 
ing every  expression  that  crossed  my  face,  waiting 
upon  my  lightest  word,  and  eager  to  show  their  alle- 
giance to  me  as  the  new  head  of  the  house. 

A  career  of  magnificent  promise  lay  invitingly  at  my 
very  feet,  and  I  had  but  to  utter  a  word  to  step  into 
a  position  of  power  and  influence. 

Moreover,  every  chivalrous  instinct  of  my  nature 
was  stirred  with  a  desire  to  save  the  beautiful  girl  I 
had  seen  from  the  clutch  of  the  man  threatening  her 
with  worse  than  ruin ;  while  my  red-hot  desire  for  re- 
venge on  the  man  himself  was  prompting  me  to  stay 
where  I  was  until  at  least  I  could  expose  and  punish 
him. 

His  sin  against  me  had  been  the  one  absolutely  un- 
forgivable. He  had  married  my  sister ;  and  too  late 
we  had  discovered  that  at  the  time  he  was  already 
married.  The  blow  and  the  shame  had  killed  her  and 
broken  my  mother's  heart;  and  over  my  sister's  coffin 
I  had  sworn  to  have  his  life  for  hers.  But  he  had  fled, 
and  no  efforts  of  mine  had  been  able  to  find  him  up  to 
the  hour  of  my  own  supposed  death.  And  now  here 
he  was  delivered  into  my  hands,  and  actually  in  the 
very  act  of  repeating  his  foul  offence.  Fate  had  surely 
brought  us  together  in  this  dramatic  fashion.  I  could 
3 


34  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

not  disclose  ray  identity  to  him;  but  I  could  be  the 
agent  to  detect  this  new  sin,  and  could  thus  myself 
punish  him  for  the  old. 

With  my  pulses  throbbing  with  this  fire,  was  it  likely 
that  I  could  make  an  instant  decision  in  accordance 
with  the  dictates  of  mere  surface  conventionality?  I 
held  back  from  the  decision,  and  even  then  might  have 
persisted  in  avowing  the  truth,  when  the  man  himself 
came  ruffling  into  the  room.  His  strong,  dark,  coarse 
features  wore  an  expression  of  bullying  assertiveness ; 
his  manner  was  that  of  the  lord  of  the  place  toward  an 
interloper;  and  he  spoke  to  me  in  the  hectoring  tone 
of  a  master  toward  an  inferior  servant.  The  personal 
contact  with  him,  the  sound  of  his  voice,  the  insolent 
look  of  his  heavy  eyes,  and  my  old  hate  of  him  were 
like  so  many  knots  on  a  whiplash  goading  me  to  fury. 

"  I  heard  you  had  come,  but  I  suppose  you  know 
your  errand  is  a  fruitless  one. " 

Had  I  been  the  most  contemptible  lickspittle  on  the 
meanest  and  greediest  quest,  his  expression  could  not 
have  been  worse.  I  saw  the  other  two  men  exchange 
a  rapid  glance. 

"  What  do  you  deem  my  errand?  "  I  asked  quietly. 

"Oh,  that's  plain  enough,"  he  answered,  with  a 
sneer.  "  You've  come  after  what  you  can  get.  The 
Prince  probably  sent  you  by  these  agents  of  his " — 
with  a  contemptuous  sweep  of  the  hand  toward  them 
— "  some  wonderful  account  of  the  good  things  in  store 
for  you  here,  and  very  naturally  you  came  to  gather 
them.  But  the  Prince's  death  has  knocked  the  bottom 
out  of  that  barrel,"  and  he  laughed  very  coarsely. 
"There's  nothing  here  for  you  except  an  empty  title, 
and  a  beggarly  old. castle  mortgaged  from  the  bottom 
of  the  old  moat  to  the  tip-top  of  the  flagstaff.  That 


"As  Your  Highness  Will"  35 

and  a  mess  of  very  hazardous  intrigue  is  all  you  can 
hope  for  here." 

This  speech,  coarse  and  contemptible  as  it  was  under 
such  circumstances,  was  not  to  be  compared  with  the 
ineffable  brutality  of  the  manner  which  marked  its 
delivery.  I  was  astounded  that  any  man  could  so  be- 
have ;  but  I  saw  his  motive  instinctively. 

He  had  heard  little  of  me  except  as  a  meek-spirited 
student,  likely  to  shy  at  any  danger,  and  his  object  was 
to  frighten  me  away. 

"And  who  are  you,  then?"  I  asked.  "These  gen- 
tlemen have  told  me  nothing  of  the  position  of  matters 
here." 

"  Then  the  sooner  you  know  something  the  better. 
Have  the  goodness  to  leave  us,  Captain  von  Krugen. " 

The  latter  started,  as  I  thought  angrily,  at  the  sharp 
imperious  tone  in  which  he  was  addressed,  and  glanced 
at  me  in  some  hesitation. 

"  Do  you  hear  me,  sir? "  exclaimed  von  Nauheim, 
still  more  sharply ;  and  then,  getting  no  sign  from  me, 
the  two  men  left  the  room.  "  That  fellow  gets  more 
presuming  every  day.  The  Prince  made  far  too  much 
of  him;  but  I'll  soon  have  a  change.  So  you  don't 
know  the  position  of  things  here,  eh,  Mr.  Student? 
Do  you  set  much  store  on  your  life?"  And  he  eyed 
me  very  sharply,  expecting  to  see  me  wince. 

I  did  not  disappoint  him.  I  started  and,  in  a  tone 
of  some  alarm,  asked: 

"Why?  There  is  no  danger  of  that  sort  here,  is 
there?" 

"  Do  you  know  how  your  late  cousin,  Gustav,  lost 
his?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"Ah,  I  thought  the  question  would  surprise  you. 


36  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

I'm  not  going  to  tell  you  everything,  because  these 
matters  are  for  men  of  action,  and  not  bookworms. 
He  died  in  a  duel,  forced  on  him  for  the  sole  reason 
that  he  was  the  Prince's  next  heir." 

"Oh,  but  that  cannot  be  possible,"  I  cried,  as  if  in- 
credulous. 

"Possible,"  he  echoed,  with  a  laugh.  "Can  you 
fight?  I  mean,  do  you  think  you  can  stand  before  the 
finest  swordsmen  or  the  picked  shots  in  all  Bavaria? " 

"  I  don't  see  the  necessity." 

"  Perhaps  not — just  yet, "  he  returned  dryly.  "  Poor 
Gustav  didn't — but  the  time  came  none  the  less.  The 
man  who  puts  on  the  mantle  of  the  dead  Prince  up- 
stairs must  look  to  find  little  in  the  pockets  except 
challenges." 

"  But  what  of  you?  Who  are  you?  Why  do  you  tell 
me  this? " 

"Because  I  dislike  attending  funerals,"  he  replied, 
with  a  grim  laugh.  "  Besides,  I  am  a  soldier;  and  it's 
my  business  to  fight.  You  have  probably  heard  my 
name  already.  I'm  the  Count  von  Nauheim,  and  the 
late  Prince's  daughter  is  my  betrothed  wife." 

"And  you  mean,  I  suppose,  that  all  the  Prince's 
wealth  will  pass  to  the  daughter?  " 

"That  is  the  Prince's  will.  And  you  weren't  in 
time  to  get  him  to  alter  it,  you  see, "  he  sneered ;  but 
I  let  the  sneer  pass  for  the  moment. 

"  Then  you  will  be  the  head  of  the  family  in  all  but 
the  name — the  husband  of  the  daughter,  the  owner  of 
the  wealth,  and  the  guardian  of  its  honor? " 

"  You  can  put  a  point  with  the  clearness  of  a  law- 
yer," he  said. 

"  Have  you,  then,  fought  the  man  who  killed  the 
son  Gustav? " 


"As  Your  Highness  Will"  37 

As  I  asked  the  question  I  kept  my  eyes  fixed  steadily 
on  his,  and  all  his  bluster  could  not  hide  his  discom- 
fiture. 

"These  are  things  you  don't  understand,"  he  said 
bruskly.  "  There  is  much  behind — too  much  to  explain 
to  you." 

"  But  if  you  say  that  my  cousin  Gustav  was  mur- 
dered, that  you  know  this  to  be  so,  that  fighting  is 
your  business,  and  that  you  are  the  guardian  of  the 
family's  honor,  why  have  you  not  called  the  murderer 
to  account? " 

"  I  tell  you  you  don't  understand  these  things.  We 
don't  manage  matters  like  a  parcel  of  swaggering  stu- 
dent duels." 

"Apparently  not,"  I  answered  in  a  studiously  quiet 
tone.  "  Students  would  say  in  such  a  case  that  you 
did  not  fight  because — you  dared  not." 

"  You  speak  with  a  strange  license,  and  if  you  are 
not  careful  you  will  get  yourself  into  trouble !"  he  cried 
furiously,  trying  to  frighten  me  with  a  bullying  stare. 
"  You  won't  find  every  one  ready  to  make  such  allow- 
ances for  your  gaucherie  as  I  am.  You  will  have  the 
goodness  to  withdraw  that  suggestion." 

"  I  will  do  so  with  pleasure  the  moment  I  know  you 
have  challenged  the  man  you  call  a  murderer,  or  have 
repeated  in  his  presence  what  you  have  said  about  him 
to  me." 

His  surprise  at  this  unexpected  tone  of  quiet  insist- 
ence on  my  part  was  almost  laughable ;  but  he  tried  to 
carry  it  off  and  bear  me  down  with  his  boisterous,  bul- 
lying manner. 

"  You  had  better  take  heed  how  you  presume  on  my 
forbearance  toward  one  in  your  position,  or  even  the 
fact  that  you  are  nominally  a  member  of  the  family 


38  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

will  not  prevent  me  from  giving  you  a  pretty  severe 
lesson. " 

"  You  mean,  I  suppose,  that,  although  you  dared  not 
challenge  the  man  who  killed  Gustav,  you  think  you 
might  tackle  me  with  impunity.  That  is  not  a  very 
high  standard  of  courage,"  and  I  shrugged  my  shoul- 
ders, and  curled  my  lips  in  contempt,  as  I  addje'd,  "  If 
that  is  all  the  protection  the  Gramberg  honor  can  rely 
upon,  God  save  the  family  reputation." 

The  sneer  drove  him  mad,  and  the  blood  rushed  to 
his  face,  until  every  one  of  his  coarse  features  glowed 
with  his  passion. 

"  With  the  Prince  lying  dead  in  the  castle,  this  is  not 
the  time  for  such  a  matter  to  be  settled ;  but  I  will  not 
suffer  such  -an  insult  even  from  you  to  pass  unpun- 
ished. Why  should  you  seek  to  force  a  quarrel  on  me 
at  such  a  time?" 

"You  forget  the  quarrel  is  of  your  making,"  I  an- 
swered coolly.  "  The  moment  you  entered  this  room 
you  insulted  me  by  saying  I  had  come  here  for  what 
I  could  get,  and  sneered  that  I  was  too  late  to  induce 
the  Prince  to  alter  the  will  leaving  his  property  to  his 
daughter.  In  my  view  that  will  is  perfectly  just  and 
right.  Then  for  some  object,  I  know  not  what  as  yet, 
you  tried  to  frighten  me  into  running  away  from  the 
place  altogether.  You  have  mistaken  your  man,  sir. 
I  have  no  hankering  for  the  late  Prince's  wealth;  but 
what  you  have  said  of  yourself  is  more  than  enough  to 
prove  that  the  honor  of  my  family  is  not  in  safe  keep- 
ing when  left  in  your  hands.  As  there  is  nothing  but 
that  honor,  I  will  accept  that  part  of  the  inheritance. " 

Rage,  hate,  threats,  and  baffled  malice  were  in  the 
look  he  turned  on  me  at  this. 

"  You  wish  to  make  me  your  enemy?  " 


"As  Your  Highness  Will"  39 

"At  least  I  have  no  wish  to  make  you  my  friend,"  I 
retorted. 

"  You  will  live  to  repent  this  bitterly ! "  he  cried, 
with  an  oath.  "  We  will  have  no  meddlers  here  in  the 
path  of  our  purpose,"  and,  still  more  enraged  by  the 
smile  which  the  threat  evoked  from  me,  he  went  hur- 
riedly out  of  the  room. 

Truly  my  years  of  self-repression  had  wrought 
a  great  change  in  me.  Five  years  before  his  hot 
insolence  would  have  so  fired  me  that  I  would 
have  made  him  answer  for  it  on  the  spot;  but  now 
I  could  hold  my  anger  in  check  and  wait  for  my 
revenge.  But  this  little  conflict  was  my  first  live 
experience  for  five  years,  and  the  sense  of  it  pleased 
me. 

When  the  man  had  left  me  I  had  no  longer  any 
scruples  about  going  forward  with  my  new  character. 
There  was  no  one  to  be  robbed  of  a  fortune,  no  one  to 
be  supplanted  in  a  coveted  position — nothing  but  an 
overpawned  castle  to  be  gained.  There  was  appar- 
ently a  dangerous  intrigue  to  be  faced,  and  a  sweet 
girl's  honor  to  be  saved,  and  a  treacherous  villain  to 
be  exposed  and  punished — not  the  kind  of  inheritance 
which  many  men  would  covet.  But  then  few  men 
were  ever  placed  in  my  situation. 

I  was  thinking  hard  over  all  this  when  my  two  cap- 
tors came  back  into  the  room  hurriedly,  both  very 
angry.  Von  Nauheim  had  seen  them  after  leaving 
me,  and  had  vented  his  anger  on  them.  They  asked 
me  now  excitedly  if  it  was  my  wish  that  they  should 
leave  the  castle  immediately  after  the  Prince's  funeral. 
I  listened  to  them  very  quietly.  I  had  already  had 
pretty  strong  evidence  of  the  lengths  to  which  their 
zeal  for  the  family's  affairs  would  induce  them  to  go; 


40  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  von  Nauheim's  hostility  to  them  was  a  powerful 
recommendation  in  my  eyes. 

"I  beg  you  to  be  calm,  gentlemen,"  I  said,  "and  to 
bear  in  mind  that  I  know  very  little  of  the  position  of 
affairs  here.  I  have  understood  from  you  that  you 
were  both  largely  in  the  late  Prince's  confidence — in- 
deed, you  have  given  me  pretty  good  proof  of  that 
since  yesterday.  But  beyond  that  I  do  not  know  what 
your  relations  here  have  been  in  the  past. " 

"  We  have  been  for  )rears  in  the  Prince's  confidential 
service;  I  myself  enjoyed  his  closest  confidence,"  an- 
swered Captain  von  Krugen.  "  But  my  allegiance  is  to 
the  head  of  the  house.  I  recognize  no  one  else." 

"  And  you  desire  to  remain  in  that  service? " 

"I  have  no  other  wish  in  life,  sir,"  he  replied  ear- 
nestly. 

"  Nor  I,"  assented  the  other. 

"  If  you  were  in  his  confidence,  you  will  know  that 
the  late  Prince  has  left  to  his  successor  no  means  of 
maintaining  a  large  retinue." 

"  What  I  am  and  all  that  I  have  I  owe  to  your  late 
uncle,"  said  the  captain  in  the  same  earnest  tone.  "  I 
ask  nothing  else  than  to  place  my  sword  and  my  for- 
tune alike  at  your  disposal.  And  I  can  speak  for 
Steinitz  here.  Our  liberty  and  lives  are  indeed  at 
issue  in  the  present  crisis ;  and  if  all  is  not  to  fail  igno- 
miniously  now,  we  must  have  a  strong  hand  and  a  clear 
head  in  command. " 

There  was  no  mistaking  the  man's  sincerity,  and, 
usurper  though  I  was,  the  offer  touched  me. 

"  I  believe  you  absolutely,  Captain  von  Krugen,  and 
you,  Herr  Steinitz,"  and  I  gave  them  my  hand.  "  But, 
all  the  same,  I  do  not  know  what  crisis  you  mean. 
Tell  me  freely." 


"As  Your   Highness  Will'3  41 

"  I  tried  to  tell  you  on  the  journey  here,  but  you 
prevented  me.  Do  you  know  the  history  of  your 
family — the  lineage  on  the  side  of  the  late  Prince's 
wife? " 

"  I  know  very  little.  Speak  as  freely  as  if  I  knew 
nothing.  You  will  not  try  my  patience." 

"  Steinitz,  see  that  there  is  no  one  about ;  and  keep 
guard  outside  the  door  that  no  one  enters." 

He  paused  while  the  younger  man  withdrew,  and 
then,  leading  me  to  a  deep  window-seat  at  the  end  of 
the  room,  began  to  speak  in  a  low  tone : 

"  There  is  a  traitor  somewhere  among  us,  and  thus 
the  greatest  need  for  caution.  For  a  long  time  pre- 
vious to  his  death  your  uncle  was  engaged  in  a  task 
that  involved  the  highest  issues  of  State.  The  extreme 
discontent  at  the  antics  of  the  madman  who  is  now 
King  of  Bavaria  induced  a  number  of  the  more  promi- 
nent and  bolder  men  in  the  country  to  plot  his  over- 
throw. There  is  a  slip  in  his  ancestry,  and  the  disap- 
pearance of  a  certain  Prince  Otto,  who  was  the  heir  to 
the  throne,  let  in  the  younger  branch  of  the  family, 
through  whom  the  title  has  descended  to  the  present 
King.  Otto  was  supposed  to  have  died;  but  he  was 
only  eccentric.  He  lived  in  secret  retirement,  mar- 
ried, and  left  a  son.  From  that  son,  who  was  unques- 
tionably the  rightful  heir,  the  late  wife  of  your  uncle 
came  in  direct  descent.  She  was  the  only  child  of  the 
eldest  line,  and  by  right  she  should  have  reigned  as 
Queen.  As  you  know,  she  died,  and  left  the  two  chil- 
dren— Gustav,  who  was  killed  in  a  duel,  and  the 
daughter,  who  is  in  the  castle  at  this  moment." 

"  Do  you  mean ?  "  I  began  when  he  paused. 

"  I  mean  that  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg 
should  at  this  moment  be  the  Queen  of  Bavaria;  and 


42  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

that  by  God's  help  we  shall  all  live  to  see  her 
crowned." 

His  dark  face  flushed  and  his  eyes  glowed  with  the 
enthusiasm  of  this  speech. 

My  own  feeling  was  more  wonderment  than  enthu- 
siasm, however.  If  this  most  hazardous  and  ambitious 
scheme  were  afoot,  what  could  be  the  meaning  of  von 
Nauheim's  share  in  it  as  the  betrothed  husband  of  a 
future  queen? 

"The  Prince's  first  intention  was  of  course  to  put 
his  son  on  the  throne,  and  matters  were  indeed  well 
ripe  for  this,  when  unfortunately  he  became  embroiled 
in  a  duel  and  was  killed.  That  duel  we  believe  to  have 
been  forced  on  him — murder  in  all  but  the  actual 
form." 

"And  the  man  who  killed  him? "  I  asked. 

"  A  noted  Italian  swordsman,  Praga,  hired  and  paid, 
as  we  believe,  for  his  work." 

"Hired?     By  whom?" 

"  By  the  family  who  stand  next  in  succession  to  the 
throne.  The  King,  as  you  know,  has  no  children,  and 
the  succession  passes  to  the  Ostenburg  branch  of  the 
family.  That  was  my  master's  main  hope.  Our 
claims  are  stronger  than  theirs ;  and  we  had  on  this 
account  secured  the  support  of  most  of  the  prominent 
men  in  the  country." 

"  Well? "  I  asked,  for  he  paused  with  a  gesture  of 
disappointment. 

"Count  Gustav's  death  threw  everything  back. 
Where  they  had  been  ready  to  stand  by  a  man,  some 
of  them  drew  back,  frightened,  from  supporting  a 
young  girl — and,  unless  a  bold  stroke  be  made  now, 
everything  may  be  lost. " 

"  What  bold  stroke  do  you  mean?  " 


"  As  Your  Highness  Will  "  43 

"  Like  that  planned  before.  Everything  was  ready. 
We  thought  the  Ostenburg  agents  had  not  a  suspicion 
of  our  plans.  We  had  resolved  to  take  advantage  of 
the  mad  King's  fancies  to  lure  him  out  on  one  of  those 
wild  midnight  drives  of  his,  and  then  to  seize  his  per- 
son and  put  one  of  ourselves  into  his  place,  made  up, 
of  course,  to  resemble  him ;  and  to  let  the  dummy  play 
the  part  of  King  long  enough  to  enable  us  to  get  the 
madman  where  he  ought  to  have  been  long  since — into 
restraint.  Then  the  dummy  was  to  throw  aside  his 
disguise  and  declare  that  he  had  been  acting  by  the 
King's  orders;  that  the  latter  had  abdicated  and  had 
proclaimed  the  Count  Gustav  his  successor,  as  being 
the  rightful  lineal  heir.  We  should  have  done  the 
rest.  It  was  a  brave  scheme." 

"  It  was  as  mad  as  the  King  himself,"  said  I.  "  But 
what  then?" 

"  It  was  just  before  things  were  ripe  that  the  other 
side  got  wind  through  some  treachery  somewhere ;  and 
the  count  was  killed  in  the  duel. " 

"Well?" 

"  Half  the  cowards  drew  away.  But  they  will  all 
come  back  the  moment  they  see  us  strike  a  blow ;  and 
it  was  to  have  you  close  at  hand,  helping  in  the  good 
work,  that  the  Prince  sent  for  you." 

"  And  the  Count  von  Nauheim?  " 

"The  Prince  had  supreme  confidence  in  him.  He 
was  not  with  us  at  first ;  but  his  coming  secured  us  the 
help  of  a  very  large  and  influential  section  of  the  peo- 
ple— enough  to  turn  the  balance,  indeed,  and  make  ttfe 
scheme  certain  of  success.  The  Prince  welcomed  him 
heartily  enough,  and  cheerfully  complied  with  the  con- 
dition fixed  by  those  for  whom  he  acted — that  the  Coun- 
tess Minna  should  be  given  to  him  in  marriage  " 


44  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

This  made  me  thoughtful,  knowing  as  I  did  the 
man's  character. 

"  And  the  daughter  herself? "      * 

My  companion  frowned,  drawing  his  dark  brows 
close  together,  and  pursed  up  his  lips,  as  he  replied 
ambiguously : 

"  Neither  man  nor  woman  at  such  a  time  can  think 
of  any  but  reasons  of  State. " 

"  You  mean  that  she  consented  to  give  her  hand,  but 
could  not  give  her  heart  with  it. " 

"I  mean  more  than  that,  sir,  and  I  must  speak 
frankly  to  you.  The  Countess  Minna  has  never  fa- 
vored the  scheme,  but  has  strongly  opposed  it — and 
opposes  it  still.  Women  have  no  ambition.  She  has 
no  longing  for  a  throne;  and  now  that  her  father  is 
dead  I  fear — well,  I  do  not  know  what  she  may  do. 
If  you  will  urge  her,  she  is  her  father's  daughter,  and 
will,  I  believe,  go  through  with  it.  But  much  will 
depend  upon  you." 

"  And  if  she  does  not  go  on  with  it— what  then?  " 

"We  are  all  pledged  too  deeply  to  draw  back 
now,  your  Highness,"  he  answered,  very  earnestly. 
"We  must  either  succeed  or  fail — there  is  no  mid- 
dle course;  and  failure  means  a  prison  or  a  convent 
for  the  Prince's  daughter,  and  worse  than  ruin  for 
the  rest  of  us.  As  for  yourself,  you,  I  warn  you, 
will  be  the  certain  object  of  attack,  for  there  is  no 
safe  obscurity  here.  The  enemies  of  your  High- 
ness's  house  will  never  rest  satisfied  while  a  pos- 
sible heiress  to  the  throne  remains  at  large,  or  while 
those  who  have  helped  to  put  her  there  are  alive 
and  at  liberty.  As  I  told  you  at  Hamnel,  we  are 
playing  for  desperate  stakes,  and  must  play  boldly 
and  like  men. " 


"  As  Your  Highness  Will  "  45 

Before  I  had  time  to  reply  we  heard  Steinitz  in 
conversation  with  some  one  outside  the  door,  and  a 
moment  later  he  opened  it,  and  said  that  the  Countess 
Minna  was  anxious  to  see  me,  and  was  coming  to  the 
library  for  that  purpose. 


CHAPTER  IV 

"  YOU  ARE  HEAD  OF  THE  HOUSE  NOW  " 

MY  chief  feeling  as  I  rose  to  receive  the  Prince's 
daughter  was  a  sort  of  shamefaced  regret  that  I  had 
allowed  myself  to  be  hurried  into  a  position  which 
made  it  necessary  for  me  to  mislead  her.  I  meant  her 
nothing  but  good.  I  had  been  brought  to  the  castle  all 
against  my  will.  I  had  stayed  there  largely  in  order 
that  I  might  be  the  means  of  saving  her  from  danger ; 
and  everything  I  heard  only  served  to  increase  that 
danger  in  my  view.  Yet  the  fact  of  the  deception  I 
was  practising  hampered  and  embarrassed  me  in  her 
presence. 

She  was  garbed  now  in  the  deepest  black,  was  pale 
and  hollow-eyed,  and  trembling  under  the  stress  of  her 
new  sudden  sorrow ;  and  she. seemed  so  frail  and  fragile 
that  my  heart  ached  for  her,  while  my  senses  were 
thrilled  by  her  exquisite  beauty  and  by  a  strange 
subtle  influence  which  her  presence  exercised  upon 
me.  My  pulses  beat  fast  with  a  tumultuous  desire  to 
help  her  in  her  helplessness.  Never,  indeed,  had 
woman  moved  me  like  this. 

She  paused  a  moment  on  the  threshold,  her  hand  on 
the  arm  of  an  elderly  lady  who  accompanied  her ;  and 
her  large  blue  eyes  rested  on  my  face,  searching,  read- 
ing, and  appealing,  as  I  hastened  across  the  room 
toward  her.  Her  scrutiny  appeared  to  give  her  confi- 


"  You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now"    47 

dence,  for  she  withdrew  her  hand  from  her  compan- 
ion's arm  and  held  it  out  to  greet  me. 

"I  felt  I  must  come  to  bid  you  welcome,  cousin," 
she  said  in  a  low,  sweet  voice  that  trembled.  "  You 
are  welcome — very  welcome." 

I  took  the  hand  and  raised  it  to  my  lips. 

"  You  should  not  have  distressed  yourself  to  come ; 
I  should  have  understood,"  I  answered. 

"I  felt  that  I  must  see  you,"  she  said,  very  gra- 
ciously; and  I,  remembering  what  I  had  seen  in  the 
garden  and  all  that  von  Krugen  had  told  me,  knew 
well  enough  the  doubts  and  fears,  anxieties  and  hopes, 
that  might  lie  behind  the  words. 

I  racked  my  brain  for  some  sentence  that  would  con- 
vey some  assurance  of  my  wish  to  serve  her ;  but  I 
could  find  no  words  that  pleased  me ;  and  after  a  pause, 
that  to  me  was  awkward  enough,  she  added: 

"  You  are  now  my  only  relative  in  the  world  except 
my  dear  aunt  here,  the  Baroness  Gratz." 

The  old  lady  made  me  a  very  stately  and  ceremo- 
nious bow,  which  I  returned  with  such  courtesy  as  I 
could  command. 

"  A  great  heritage  has  come  to  you,  sir,  and  a  trust 
that  must  test  to  the  utmost  one  so  young  in  years," 
she  said. 

"  My  one  life-purpose  shall  be  to  prove  worthy  of 
it,"  I  answered  earnestly;  and  I  thought  the  girl's 
eyes  lightened  a  little  at  the  words. 

"We  were  alarmed,  sir,  when  we  heard  that  you 
were  unwilling  to  come,"  said  the  baroness. 

"I  am  here,  madam,  to  remove  that  alarm." 

"  The  future  fortunes  of  this  noble  house  rest  largely 
in  your  hands,  as  well  as  those  of  this  sweet  child. 
You  know  that? "  she  asked  in  reply. 


48  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  know  little  as  yet ;  but  in  all  I  shall  strive  ear- 
nestly to  win  the  confidence  of  you  both. " 

"You  will  have  mine,  cousin,"  said  the  girl,  impul- 
sively and  almost  eagerly,  as  it  seemed  to  me.  "  And 
at  the  earliest  moment  I  wish  to  tell  you  all  that  is  in 
my  thoughts  and  to  ask  your  help. " 

"  You  will  never  ask  that  in  vain,  believe  me, "  I  re- 
turned, raising  my  eyes  to  hers,  which  had  all  the  time 
been  fixed  on  my  face. 

"I  do  believe  you — I  am  sure  of  you,"  she  cried, 
again  impulsively;  and  I  could  have  blessed  her  for 
the  words.  "And,  oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come. 
There  is  so  much  to  change  and  set  right." 

"Minna!  "  said  the  aunt  in  a  gently  warning  tone. 

"  I  am  with  friends,  and  I  can  speak  freely.  I  feel 
it.  I  am  sure  we  shall  be  friends,  cousin.  Shall  we 
not?  And  you  will  be  on  my  side? " 

At  this  Captain  von  Krugen,  who  had  remained  at 
the  other  end  of  the  room,  took  two  or  three  steps  for- 
ward as  if  to  speak ;  but  the  baroness  interposed,  and 
after  a  warning  glance  at  him  whispered  to  the  girl : 

"  We  have  not  come  for  this  now,  child." 

"  The  captain  will  be  my  friend,  too,  whatever  hap- 
pens, I  am  confident,"  said  the  girl,  looking  toward 
him;  "even  if  I  will  not  go  forward  with  a  scheme 
that  must  die " 

The  word  distressed  her,  and  she  caught  her  breath, 
and  her  lips  faltered  so  that  she  could  not  finish  the 
sentence.  She  sighed  deeply  and  turned  to  lean  on 
her  companion's  arm  again. 

"You  must  not  distress  yourself,  Minna,"  said  the 
baroness  gently. 

A  rather  long,  trying  pause  followed,  during  which 
the  Countess  Minna  appeared  to  be  struggling  to  re- 


"You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now  "   49 

gain  her  self-composure.  And  at  the  close  she  said, 
sadly  and  listlessly,  and  yet  with  a  great  effort  to  speak 
firmly : 

"  I  did  not  come  to  speak  of  these  things  now,  but 
to  ask  you,  cousin,  to  do  all  that  has  to  be  done  at  this 
time  of — of  sorrow.  You  are  the  head  of  the  house 
now,  and  I  trust  you  will  use  the  authority. " 

"Until  you  desire  otherwise,"  I  answered.  "You 
may  depend  upon  me  absolutely." 

u  That  is  my  wish,  cousin ;  and  when  I  can  trust 
myself,  we  will  have  a  long  conference. " 

She  gave  me  her  hand,  and  I  was  in  the  act  of  put- 
ting it  once  more  to  my  lips  when  hurried  steps  ap- 
proached, and  the  Count  voix  Nauheim  entered  the 
room  hastily.  I  felt  the  girl's  fingers  start,  and  invol- 
untarily they  closed  on  mine  in  a  little  trembling  ges- 
ture of  half  agitation  and  fear.  The  touch  thrilled  me. 

"I  am  surprised  to  find  you  here,  Minna, "  he  said 
bruskly.  "  I  think,  baroness,  it  would  have  been  more 
seemly  if  Minna  had  kept  in  her  apartments." 

The  old  lady  was  more  afraid  of  him  than  Minna 
herself,  I  could  see,  and  she  murmured  some  half- 
incoherent  excuses. 

"  I  see  no  wrong  in  coming  here  to  welcome  the  head 
of  the  house,"  said  the  girl,  trying  to  appear  firm. 

"  Head  of  the  house,"  he  cried,  with  a  sneer.  "  You 
are  the  head  of  the  house,  and,  as  your  affianced  hus- 
band, it  is  for  me  to  say  what  is  necessary  in  these 
matters  of  courtesy.  I  have  already  seen  Herr  von 
Fromberg  to  welcome  him,  as  you  say.  Nothing  more 
was  necessary.  Let  me  give  you  my  arm  to  take  you 
to  my  apartments.  Come." 

She  hesitated  an  instant,  and  seemed  as  if  about  to 
refuse ;  but  then  changed  and  placed  the  tips  of  her 
4 


50  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

fingers  on  his  arm,  and  as  she  did  so  turned  and  bowed 
to  me  with  a  smile  on  her  sweet,  sad,  pale  face. 

"  I  shall  see  you,  cousin  Hans,  soon,  as  I  said  just 
now.  In  the  mean  time  I  rely  upon  you  to  order  all 
such  arrangements  as  you  think  best — as  your  position 
here  now  requires. " 

"This  gentleman  need  not  trouble  himself,"  said  the 
man,  frowning  heavily  and  angrily.  "  I  have  given  all 
necessary  instructions. " 

"I  will  do  what  you  wish,"  I  said  to  her,  ignoring 
him  entirely. 

I  kept  out  of  sight  my  rage  at  his  conduct  until  the 
three  had  left  the  room,  and  then,  forgetting  that  I 
was  not  alone,  I  vented  it  in  a  heavy,  bitter  oath,  and 
turned  to  find  von  Krugen's  keen  dark  eyes  fixed  upon 
me. 

I  was  annoyed  to  have  thus  bared  my  feelings  to  his 
quick  gaze.  I  did  not  wish  him  to  know  that  I  sus- 
pected, or  even  disliked,  the  count;  but  he  had  seen 
it  already. 

"  He  would  try  to  overrule"  even  the  Prince  himself 
in  the  latter  time ;  and  he  takes  interference  very  ill. 
He  will  ride  roughshod  over  all  of  us  if  he  can. " 

"  Ah,  you  do  not  like  him,"  I  answered.  "  But  there 
is  no  room  for  dissensions  among  ourselves.  Let  it 
go  no  farther." 

"  Have  you  any  commands  to  give,  your  Highness? 
If  I  am  to  take  them  from  him,  I  am  to  leave  the 
castle. " 

This  was  intended  to  see  if  I  should  exercise  my 
authority. 

"You  will  not  leave,  Captain  von  Krugen,"  I  re- 
plied promptly.  "  Heaven  knows  there  is  too  much 
need  of  a  faithful  friend  at  such  a  juncture."  He 


SHK   TURNED    AND    BOWED   TO    ME   WITH    A   SMILE. 


"You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now"    51 

bowed,  and  his  eyes  lighted  with  pleasure  at  my 
words.  "And  now,"  I  added,  "we  will  discuss  to- 
gether what  has  to  be  done,  and  try  to  settle  the 
arrangements. " 

There  were,  of  course,  many  arrangements  to  be 
made,  and  the  consultation  occupied  a  long  time.  As 
a  result  I  issued  a  number  of  directions  such  as 
seemed  best,  including  those  for  the  funeral,  which  I 
fixed  for  three  days  later. 

Then  I  had  to  consider  my  own  matters,  and  to  ma- 
ture a  plan  which  I  had  formed  after  my  interview 
with  the  Countess  Minna.  I  felt  that  I  could  not  con- 
tinue the  deception  in  regard  to  myself;  and  I  re- 
solved that  I  would  use  the  interval  before  the  funeral 
to  try  and  find  the  real  von  Fromberg,  and  bring  him 
to  the  castle  to  take  his  own  position.  I  would  come 
with  him,  and,  by  using  the  knowledge  I  possessed, 
help  him  in  a  task  which,  if  he  had  a  spark  of  honor 
in  his  nature,  he  could  not  but  undertake. 

The  next  day  I  took  the  captain  so  far  into  my  confi- 
dence as  to  tell  him  there  was  an  urgent  private  mat- 
ter to  which  I  was  compelled  to  attend,  and  that  I  must 
return  to  Hamnel  for  that  purpose.  I  told  him  to  keep 
the  fact  of  my  absence  as  secret  as  possible,  saying 
merely  that  I  was  out  riding  or  walking,  and  that  I 
would  return  soon.  If  the  countess  asked  for  me,  he 
was  in  confidence  to  tell  her  the  truth,  and  to  assure 
her  that,  in  any  event,  I  should  be  back  before  the  day 
of  the  funeral.  Moreover,  he  was  to  keep  a  most  vigi- 
lant watch  over  everything  and  everybody,  and  if  my 
presence  was  urgently  needed  to  telegraph  to  me  to 
Hamnel.  But  to  no  one  was  he  to  give  that  address. 

I  started  early,  and  the  same  evening  arrived  at 
Hamnel,  but  failed  to  find  von  Fromberg  either  in 


52  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

his  own  name  or  in  mine ;  and  then  I  hurried  on  to 
Charmes.  There  I  caught  him  at  the  house  of  the 
Compte  de  Charmes,  whose  daughter,  Angele,  he  was 
to  marry. 

At  first  he  was  like  an  emotional  girl.  He  rushed 
into  the  room,  and  would  have  embraced  me  had  I 
not  prevented  him,  while  he  loaded  me  with  thanks 
and  praise  for  having  helped  him  to  get  free  from  his 
uncle  by  not  declaring  myself ;  while,  with  all  this,  he 
was  profuse  and  gushingly  voluble  with  his  apologies. 

He  acted  like  an  hysterical  fool,  bubbling  over  with 
silly  laughter  one  moment  and  shedding  equally  silly 
tears  the  next.  He  was  ridiculously  light-spirited  and 
happy,  until  his  fantastic  hilarity  angered  me.  He 
appeared  to  think  that,  as  he  had  become  a  French- 
man, he  ought  to  behave  as  a  sort  of  feather-headed 
clown. 

His  one  consuming  wish  was  that  I  should  see  An- 
gele— the  girl  was  the  one  object  in  his  mental  out- 
look at  that  moment,  and  everything  else  was  all  out 
of  perspective. 

It  was  a  long  time  before  I  could  make  him  under- 
stand that  a  much  more  serious  matter  than  his  love- 
farce  had  brought  me  to  Charmes;  and  even  while  I 
compelled  him  to  listen  to  the  position  of  affairs  at  the 
castle,  and  the  plight  of  his  cousin  there,  I  could  see 
that  his  thoughts  were  away  out  of  the  room  with  his 
Angele. 

"  I  am  sorry  for  her,  poor  soul.  I  am  sure  I  would 
have  every  one  happy  at  a  time  like  this.  But  I  sup- 
pose it  will  be  all  settled  somehow  and  some  day, "  he 
said  at  the  close,  in  a  tone  which  made  me  fully  realize 
that  he  considered  it  no  business  of  his. 

"  There  is  a  train  that  starts  from  Charmes  in  an 


"You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now  '     53 

hour  and  a  half,"  said  I,  thinking  it  best  to  assume 
that  he  would  go  back  with  me.  "  We  can  catch  by 
that  a  fairly  good  connection  at  Strasburg,  and  can 
reach  the  castle  to-morrow." 

"  You  are  going  back,  then? "  he  queried. 

"  I  think  I  can  be  of  help  to  you." 

"  How  can  you  help  me  if  you  are  going  there? " 

"  You  will  wish,  of  course,  to  hasten  to  the  castle  to 
save  the  honor  of  your  family  and  of  your  cousin?  " 

"  My  family  is  here.  My  home  is  France.  I  am  no 
longer  a  German.  I  have  made  the  declaration  to 
become  naturalized.  Do  you  think  I  would  leave  An- 
gele  on  almost  the  eve  of  my  wedding-day?  To-mor- 
row we  shall  be  man  and  wife.  Shall  I  instead,  then, 
go  to  look  after  the  affairs  of  a  dead  old  man  who 
never  worried  himself  the  paring  of  a  nail  about  me 
until  he  thought  I  could  be  of  use  to  him?  What  do 
you  suppose  Angele's  father  would  say?  Pouf !  I  can 
hear  him.  '  Very  well,  monsieur,  go  away.  Attend 
to  these  people — these  Germans — leave  my  daughter. 
Show  yourself  more  German  than  French,  and  give 
the  lie  to  your  protestations.  Pretend  to  become  a 
Frenchman  one  moment  and  the  next  recognize  the 
claim  of  your  Fatherland  and  your  German  blood  and 
kinship.  Go,  by  all  means,  but  do  not  return.  Never 
set  eyes  on  Angele  again ! '  Eh,  do  you  think  I  could 
do  that? "  and  he  threw  up  his  hands,  shoulders,  and 
eyebrows  in  a  perfect  ecstasy  of  repudiation  of  the 
mere  idea. 

"  A  helpless  young  girl,  your  only  kin  in  the  world, 
is  waiting  there  dependent  upon  your  assistance.  You 
are  now  the  head  of  that  great  family  whose  honor  and 
future  are  now  threatened ;  and  the  entire  fortunes  of 
your  noble  house  are  at  a  crisis  which  make  it  impera- 


54  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

tive  in  all  honor  that  you  should  assume  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  position." 

"  And  is  there  not  a  helpless  girl  here  who  will  be 
dependent  upon  me?  Am  I  not  here  taking  the  head- 
ship of  a  noble  family?  With  this  difference — that 
here  I  was  not  forgotten  and  ignored  until  I  became 
necessary  as  a  prop  for  a  tottering  wall.  Would 
honor,  think  you,  have  nothing  to  say  against  my  de- 
sertion of  this  family  in  the  way  you  suggest?  No, 
no,  my  friend;  these  people  have  appealed  to  your 
sentimental  side.  My  place  is  here,  and  here  I  stop." 

From  that  resolve  no  pleas,  reproaches,  arguments, 
or  goads  could  move  him.  Nothing  should  make  him 
budge  from  Angele ;  and  he  viewed  everything  from 
that  one  new  standpoint. 

"  If  you  are  eager  to  free  my  family  from  the  mess 
their  affairs  have  got  into,  take  my  place,  go  back  and 
do  it.  You  may  claim  by  right  all  there  is  to  be  got ; 
for  certainly  I  could  not  help  if  I  would.  If  he  who 
was  all  his  life  at  this  work  could  not  keep  his  house 
from  falling,  his  son  from  being  killed,  and  his  daugh- 
ter from  danger,  what  can  I  hope  to  do? — I,  a  student, 
who  have  lived  three-quarters  of  my  life  in  France, 
who  loathe  a  military  life,  and  know  absolutely  noth- 
ing of  the  intricacies  of  diplomatic  intrigue?  You 
say  you  could  help  me?  I  don't  know  how;  but  if  you 
could,  what  is  the  gain  for  me?  My  uncle  is  dead  and 
leaves  me  nothing  but  a  mess  of  intrigue  and  danger. 
My  cousin  is  engaged  and  therefore  will  marry — and 
what  is  her  husband  to  me?  " 

"  Surely  you  are  not  dead  to  the  demands  of  honor?  " 
I  cried;  but  against  the  wall  of  his  selfishness  the  sea 
would  have  broken  itself  in  vain. 

"How  do  I  serve  my  honor  by  forsaking  Angele? 


"You  are  Head  of  the  House  Now'1    55 

No,  no.  I  tell  you  I  have  ceased  to  be  a  German ;  I 
have  renounced  my  family,  and  shall  live  under  a  new 
name.  I  am  a  student.  This  is  work  for  men  like 
you.  Go  and  do  it.  I  am  rendering-  that-  girl  a  far 
greater  service  by  sending  you  than  by  going  myself." 

It  was  useless  to  argue  with  him.  He  was  hope- 
lessly callous;  and  I  sat  biting  my  lips  in  anxious 
thought. 

"  When  they  know  I  have  become  a  Frenchman,  do 
you  think  they  will  accept  help  at  my  hands?  Will  they 
welcome  my  French  wife,  or  my  new  family?  Should 
I  wreck  my  own  happiness  to  enable  them  to  insult 
me,  and  all  that  are  now  dear  to  me?  Am  I  a  fool?  I 
will  do  what  I  can,  but  not  that.  If  my  cousin  should 
need  a  home,  she  shall  have  as  comfortable  a  one  as 
my  means  will  provide.  But  they  must  not  claim  me 
as  one  of  their  own  kin.  That  is  all." 

"  They  are  not  likely  to  make  any  claim  of  the  kind 
on  you,"  I  said.  And  the  bitter  contempt  I  felt  for 
him  came  out  in  my  tone. 

He  winced  and  flushed,  and  for  a  moment  was  stung 
to  anger ;  but  it  passed. 

"  You  think  poorly  of  me  because  I  have  decided 
matters  thus.  As  you  will.  We  shall  not  meet 
again.  Probably  I  shall  never  again  cross  the  fron- 
tier. To  show  you  my  decision  is  no  mere  whim,  but 
a  deliberately  chosen  course,  here  I  have  a  duly  drawn 
up  declaration  renouncing  my  heirship.  I  drew  it,  of 
course,  before  I  knew  of  the  Prince's  death,  and  I 
declined  absolutely  his  proposals,  and  announced  my 
intention  to  change  my  name  and  become  a  French- 
man. I  was  going  to  have  this  attested  before  a  no- 
tary, and  then  send  it  to  my  uncle ;  but  you  can  take 
it  as  it  is,  if  you  like.  I  will  make  a  sworn  declaration 


56  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

at  any  time  it  is  desired.  Do  just  what  you  will.  And 
this  I  swear  to  you :  I  will  never  breathe  a  word  of 
what  has  passed  unless  you  wish  me  to  speak.  I  owe 
you  that  for  having  brought  you  into  the  mess." 

I  took  the  paper  and  rose  to  leave. 

"  I  will  take  means  to  let  you  know  what  is  done. 
Here,  I  suppose?" 

I  spoke  curtly,  for  I  felt  strongly. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  hear  anything.  A  letter  here  will 
find  me,  of  course,  but  my  name  for  the  future  will  be 
Henri  Frombe — Hans  von  Fromberg  will  have  ceased 
to  exist,  unless  you  are  he."  So  indifferent  was  he  to 
the  critical  seriousness  of  the  affair  that  he  laughed 
as  he  said  this.,  and  added :  "  After  all,  then,  you  will 
not  see  Angele.  I  am  grieved  at  that,"  and  he  held 
out  his  hand. 

"  I  cannot  take  your  hand,  M.  Fombe,"  I  said  sternly. 
"  I  remain  a  German.  Your  desertion  of  your  family 
at  such  a  juncture  of  need  makes  any  friendly  feeling 
toward  you  impossible  on  my  part.  You  hold  that  any 
man  can  lightly  renounce  his  family  and  country.  I 
do  not.  I  take  the  strongest  view  of  your  conduct. 
France  profits  little  by  her  newest  citizen,  and  the 
Fatherland  gains  by  the  loss  of  so  self-satisfied  a  rene- 
gade. I  trust  that  we  shall  not  meet  again." 

He  was  a  coward,  and  shrank  and  paled  under  the 
lash  of  my  words ;  but  he  made  no  attempt  to  resent 
them,  and  I  left  him  with  a  feeling  of  bitter  contempt 
and  disgust  at  his  conduct. 

During  the  whole  of  my  long  journey  back  to  the 
castle  I  sat  absorbed  in  close  thought,  mapping  out  my 
plans,  recalling  old  memories,  and  rousing  my  wits  and 
energies  for  the  task  which  Fate  had  set  me,  and  from 
which  apparently  I  could  not  break  away. 


CHAPTER  V 

THE    SCENT    OF    TREACHERY 

WHEN  I  reached  the  castle,  Captain  von  Krugen  met 
me  with  several  stories  about  steps  which  von  Nauheim 
had  taken  to  contest  my  authority.  Orders  I  had  given 
had  been  countermanded,  and  several  arrangements 
changed.  These  things  were  small  in  themselves,  but 
as  his  object  was  evidently  to  fight  my  influence  and 
dispute  my  authority,  I  deemed  it  best  to  put  my  foot 
down  at  once. 

I  sent  for  all  to  whom  the  contradictory  instructions 
had  been  given,  and  then  requested  von  Nauheim's 
presence.  At  first  he  would  not  come,  and  then  I  sent 
the  captain  to  tell  him  exactly  what  I  meant  to  do,  and 
that  if  he  did  not  come  every  man  and  woman  in  the 
place  would  be  warned  to  take  no  orders  from  him 
under  pain  of  instant  dismissal.  Von  Krugen  carried 
the  message  with  glee,  and  it  roused  the  count  to  such 
anger  that  he  came  at  once  in  a  fury.  Without  giving 
him  time  to  speak,  I  said : 

"  I  sent  for  you,  Count  von  Nauheim,  because  these 
good  people  here  are  in  some  difficulty  as  to  where 
they  are  to  look  for  orders.  Will  you  explain  to  them 
that,  although  the  Prince  has  left  his  fortune  to  his 
daughter,  the  castle  passes  to  me  with  the  headship  of 
the  house,  and  that,  as  at  times  like  these  there  can  be 
only  one  master,  they  must  take  their  orders  from  me, 


58  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  that  where  any  instructions  clash  with  mine  they 
must  be  referred  to  me? " 

He  eyed  me  angrily,  but  could  not  dispute  what  I 
implied. 

"I  am  no  mouthpiece  for  you,"  he  answered  sul- 
lenly. "  I  have  been  accustomed  to  control  matters 
here,  for  an  obvious  reason  known  to  every  one,  that  I 
have  the  honor  to  be  the  Countess  Minna's  affianced 
husband.  What  object,  then,  have  you  for  any 
change? " 

"  Will  you  tell  them  what  I  have  said,  or  will  you 
compel  me  to  issue  peremptory  orders,  and  cancel 
openly  what  you  have  done?"  I  asked  in  a  quick, 
resolute  tone,  but  low  enough  to  be  heard  only  by  him. 

"  If  you  dare  to  humiliate  me  in  that  way "  he 

began. 

"Quick,  decide,"  I  interposed  sharply.  "There 
can't  be  two  masters  here." 

He  hesitated,  glancing  first  at  and  then  away  from 
me,  while  I  kept  my  eyes  fixed  steadily  on  his  face. 

"Quick,"  I  repeated  sternly. 

"Curse  you,  I'll  make  you  pay  for  this!  "  he  swore 
under  his  breath,  with  a  vicious  scowl.  Then  aloud, 
"  Of  course  you  people  will  understand  that  for  the 
moment  the  present  Prince  here  is  your  master,"  and 
with  a  wave  of  the  hand  he  indicated  me.  He  did  it 
as  ungraciously  as  he  dared,  and  as  soon  as  he  had 
finished  he  left  the  room. 

The  effect  of  the  incident  was  twofold — it  strength- 
ened my  authority  in  the  castle,  and  it  made  it  more 
difficult  than  ever  for  me  to  draw  back.  But  I  had  no 
thought  now  of  doing  that.  I  felt  that  I  had  cut  off 
my  retreat ;  and  that,  although  I  would  much  rather 
have  told  the  Countess  Minna  exactly  what  my  posi- 


The  Scent  of  Treachery  59 

tion  was,  any  such  candor  was  for  the  moment  at  least 
quite  out  of  the  question. 

Of  the  girl  herself  I  saw  nothing  during  the  next 
few  days,  and  I  passed  the  time  absorbing  all  the  in- 
formation I  could  get,  and  trying  to  form  a  plan  of 
campaign. 

I  guessed  that  nothing  would  be  done  by  the  agents 
of  the  Ostenburg  family  until  a  sufficient  time  had 
elapsed  after  the  Prince's  funeral  to  make  it  plain  what 
we  intended  to  do ;  and  I  judged  that  their  next  move 
would  be  determined  by  our  own  acts. 

The  funeral  took  place  and  directly  afterward  von 
Nauheim  left  the  castle  without  acquainting  me  with 
his  plans ;  and  for  four  or  five  days  following  the  Coun- 
tess Minna  gave  no  sign  of  a  desire  to  see  me.  I 
began  to  grow  impatient.  I  had  no  wish  to  force  my- 
self on  her  or  into  her  confidence,  but  it  was  impera- 
tive that  I  should  at  least  learn  her  wishes  both  in 
regard  to  von  Nauheim  and  the  big  scheme  of  which 
her  marriage  was  a  part.  In  the  mean  time  von  Kru- 
gen  was  urging  me  to  come  to  a  decision  to  strike  a 
blow  to  show  our  friends  in  Munich  that  we  were 
going  on  with  the  matter. 

I  had  come  to  the  conclusion,  however,  that  there 
was  no  chance  whatever  of  carrying  through  any  such 
plot  as  the  old  Prince  had  attempted.  If  it  had  ever 
been  practicable  to  carry  it  out  successfully,  the  chance 
had  passed  when  the  son,  Gustav,  had  been  killed. 
Up  to  that  time  there  had,  indeed,  been  a  pretty  wide- 
spread sympathy  with  the  movement;  and  if  a  bold 
coup  had  been  made,  the  lunatic  King  kidnapped,  the 
young  fellow  proclaimed,  and  the  Prince's  power, 
shrewdness,  and  enormous  influence  thrown  into  the 
scales,  it  was  possible  that  enough  strength  might 


60  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

have  been  paraded  in  the  country  to  force  the  hands 
of  the  Imperial  Government.  But  with  the  death  of 
the  son  went  half  the  support ;  and  now  with  the  death  of 
the  Prince  I  judged  that  more  than  half  the  remainder 
would  go.  It  seemed  to  me,  therefore,  a  sheer  impos- 
sibility to  carry  such  a  scheme  through  successfully. 
The  utmost  I  could  hope  to  achieve  would  be  to  make 
such  terms  as  should  secure  the  safety  of  the  Countess 
Minna,  as  well  as  of  those  who  had  been  concerned  in 
the  plot  thus  far. 

Obviously  they  were  compromised  up  to  the  hilt; 
and  the  manner  in  which  Gustav's  death  had  been 
compassed  showed  that  among  the  Ostenburg  interest 
there  were  men  of  great  daring  and  recklessness  ready 
to  go  to  any  length  in  defence  of  their  own.  They 
were  on  the  winning  side  now,  moreover,  and  I  deemed 
it  certain  that  to  whatever  lengths  they  might  go  they 
were  pretty  certain  to  secure  the  covert  sanction  of  the 
authorities  at  Berlin.  Berlin  would  side  with  the  suc- 
cessful, I  reckoned.  Thus  the  more  closely  I  probed 
the  situation  the  less  I  liked  it. 

But  in  these  desperate  circumstances,  where  each 
man  who  took  a  part  was  playing  with  his  life,  what 
was  a  coward  like  von  Nauheim  doing?  Even  if  he 
was  angling  to  get  possession  of  the  wealth  which 
would  be  the  portion  of  the  countess,  he  \vas  not  the 
man  to  run  his  neck  into  a  noose ;  and  whoever  mar- 
ried the  Countess  Minna  would  inevitably  have  as  part 
of  that  dowry  the  implacable  enmity  of  her  enemies. 

What,  then,  ought  I  to  do?  My  instincts  were  all  in 
favor  of  striking  some  kind  of  blow,  and  of  being  the 
attacker  instead  of  waiting  to  be  attacked.  We  ap- 
peared to  be  in  danger  of  being  squeezed  out  of  exist- 
ence. Our  supporters  were  falling  away,  our  position 


The  Scent  of  Treachery  61 

growing  weaker,  and  our  resources  becoming  feebler 
the  longer  we  waited.  If  we  could  only  effect  some  little 
thing,  it  seemed  that  we  should  be  in  a  better  position 
to  negotiate  than  if  we  merely  did  nothing.  But  what 
could  we  do? 

There  was  another  serious  danger  in  delay,  more- 
over, arising  out  of  the  consummate  uncertainty  of  my 
own  position.  It  was  one  thing  to  be  mistaken  for  the 
rightful  heir  to  the  Prince,  but  quite  another  to  attempt 
to  make  good  that  claim  legally;  and  I  soon  had  a 
sharp  reminder  of  this. 

The  old  lawyer  who  had  acted  for  the  Prince  came 
to  me  a  few  days  after  the  funeral  for  his  instructions. 
I  expressed  in  a  general  way  what  I  wished,  and  then 
he  said: 

"  There  are  certain  of  the  estates  which  have  always 
gone  with  the  title,  and  should  go  now.  It  would  be 
possible  to  make  a  claim  to  them  against  the  actual 
provisions  of  the  will. " 

He  put  it  suggestively. 

"  I  shall  make  no  claim,"  I  answered.  "  I  do  not  for 
a  moment  intend  to  interfere  with  the  Prince's  disposi- 
tion of  matters." 

"  But  he  would  have  wished  you  to  have  them,  I 
know.  Indeed,  I  have  letters  from  him  to  that  effect. " 

"  I  shall  not  interfere  with  the  will,"  I  returned, 
rather  abruptly. 

"  They  are  very  rich  estates. " 

"  That  makes  no  difference  to  me." 

"  The  cost  of  maintaining  the  dignity  of  your  High- 
ness's  title  and  position  will  be  very  heavy,  and  with- 
out them  scarcely  practicable." 

"  I  have  my  private  fortune,  and  that  will  and  must 
suffice. " 


62  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Indeed !  "  he  exclaimed  in  surprise.  "  I  thought  I 
knew  to  a  mark  the  extent  of  your  mother's  small 
income.  It  is  derived  almost  entirely  from  the  Graffen- 
heim  property ;  and  I  understand  that  within  the  last 
few  days  you  have  ordered  it  to  be  sold.  Do  you  not 
intend  your  affairs  to  remain  in  my  hands? " 

Here  was  clearly  a  mess  I  had  not  foreseen.  The 
real  man  was  getting  rid  of  his  German  property  when 
he  turned  Frenchman. 

"  You  will  certainly  have  my  confidence,  my  dear 
sir,"  I  said,  in  a  carefully  courteous  manner.  "  And  of 
course  my  affairs  will  remain  in  your  hands.  This, 
however,  is  only  a  very  small  thing,  and  I  did  not 
know  of  my  uncle's  death  when  I  put  it  in  hand." 

"  The  Prince  was  always  desirous  of  purchasing  that 
property,  because,  as  you  know,  it  lies  in  the  midst  of 
the  Gramberg  estates.  If  you  wish  to  sell  it  I  should 
advise  the  Countess  Minna  to  purchase  it." 

"I  shall  not  sell  it  to  the  Countess  Minna,"  I 
said,  at  a  loss  how  to  parry  him.  "  I  mean  that 
probably  I  shall  withdraw  it  from  sale  altogether 
now. " 

He  looked  at  me  in  such  surprise  that  I  saw  he  knew 
something  which  made  my  reply  ridiculous ;  but,  being 
afraid  to  offend  me,  he  said  no  more  about  it,  and  an- 
swered : 

"  That  is,  of  course,  just  as  you  will.  Then  should 
I  get  on  with  the  preparation  of  the  papers  of  formal 
proof  of  your  succession? " 

"I  don't  know  what  is  wanted,"  said  I  indifferently, 
though  the  man's  words  had  sprung  a  mine  under  my 
very  feet. 

"  Mere  formalities,  of  course ;  just  tracing  your  de- 
scent. The  certificates  of  birth  and  such  matters." 


The  Scent  of  Treachery  63 

"  Oh,  yes ;  whatever  is  necessary  you  may  prepare. 
Will  it  take  long?  " 

His  answer  would  tell  me  what  time  I  should  have 
for  the  whole  business. 

"  No.     A   day  or  two-  -not  more. " 

The  reply  filled  me  with  consternation.  I  could 
not  possibly  make  a  legal  claim  to  what  did  not  belong 
to  me ;  and  yet  I  must  have  time — weeks,  at  least,  and 
probably  months.  I  let  no  sign  of  my  feeling  show 
in  my  face,  but  sat  impassively  thoughtful.  Then,  as 
if  debating  a  point,  I  answered : 

"  You  will  have  to  create  some  delay  in  the  matter. 
It  is  useless  keeping  my  confidence  from  you.  This 
will  of  the  Prince's  leaves  me  nothing  but  the  castle, 
and  that  seems  to  have  been  about  the  only  part  of 
his  property  that  he  had  mortgaged ;  so  that  practi- 
cally there  is  nothing.  Whether  I  shall  accept  the  in- 
heritance, therefore — and,  of  course,  the  title  with  it 
— is  a  question  I  have  yet  to  decide ;  and  I  must  have 
as  long  a  time  for  that  decision  as  possible;  but, 
mark  you,  no  one  must  know  of  this  but  yourself. 
This  is  my  first  confidential  commission  to  you. 
Certain  things  might  determine  me  at  once;  but 
marriages  cannot  be  arranged  in  a  week.  You  under- 
stand? And  I  have  no  fancy  for  the  life  of  a  man 
weighted  with  a  big  title  and  no  means  to  support  it 
properly." 

He  bowed  as  if  in  acquiescence,  although  this  glar- 
ing contradiction  of  what  I  had  said  only  a  minute 
before  obviously  perplexed  and  disconcerted  him. 

"And  now  that  you  have  my  confidence,"  I  said, 
laying  great  stress  on  the  word,  "  tell  me  how  long  can 
we  postpone  these  formalities — or,  in  other  words,  how 
long  can  I  have  to  carry  out  my — my  plan? "  And  I 


64  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

.smiled  slightly,  as  though  the  plan  were  some  such 
matrimonial  one  as  I  had  hinted  at. 

"  A  month,  perhaps  two  months,  without  provoking 
much  comment — of  course,  provided  there  is  no  oppo- 
sition," he  replied  cautiously. 

"  I  will  find  a  way  to  deal  with  any  opposition,"  said 
I  promptly.  "  And  now  we  understand  one  another. " 

With  that  I  dismissed  him.  I  saw  the  danger  of  this 
new  development.  The  least  suspicion  would  inevi- 
tably cause  inquiry ;  and  the  most  superficial  inquiry 
would  as  inevitably  bring  the  whole  house  of  cards 
tumbling  about  my  ears.  But  I  had  certainly  one 
month,  and  perhaps  two ;  and  I  must  put  the  time  to 
the  best  use  I  could. 

The  question  of  what  that  use  should  be  was  con- 
siderably influenced  by  von  Nauheim,  who  returned 
that  night,  and  immediately  sought  an  interview  with 
me.  I  noticed  at  once  a  marked  change  in  his  atti- 
tude. 

"I  want  a  confidential  talk  with  you,  Prince,"  he 
said ;  "  and  before  we  begin  I  wish  to  say  I  am  very 
sorry  I  made  a  bear  of  myself  to  you  before  the  fu- 
neral. But  I  was  frightfully  upset  at  the  Prince's 
sudden  death.  It  seemed  to  me  that  all  our  plans 
were  going  to  the  devil,  and  it  was  impossible  for  a 
man  who  had  had  only  a  student's  career  like  yours  to 
be  of  any  use  in  such  a  case  as  ours.  I  own  that  I 
tried  to  frighten  you  into  leaving  here  without  going 
into  matters ;  and  then  it  was  I  saw  what  a  different 
kind  of  man  you  were.  But  I  was  too  wild  to  own  it. " 

"And  what  has  changed  you  since?  " 

"I've  been  in  Munich  in  conference  with  our  friends 
there  to  ascertain  what  effect  the  Prince's  death  will 
have," 


The  Scent  of  Treachery  65 

"Well?" 

"Von  Krugen  tells  me  you  know  everything,  and 
the  long  and  short  of  it  is  that  if  you'll  join  us  we 
shall  all  be  only  too  glad  to  have  your  help.  I  need 
scarcely  tell  you  that  those  who  stand  by  us  now  will 
reap  the  harvest  when  we've  succeeded.  It's  deuced 
hard  on  you  to  have  the  whole  of  the  Prince's  fortune 
left  away  to  Minna.  Once  this  thing  gets  through 
she  won't  want  it,  of  course;  and  it'll  be  my  business 
to  see  that  the  Gramberg  estates  go  with  the  title.  I 
give  you  my  word  on  that. " 

The  man  was  lying,  of  course;  but  it  wouldn't  do  to 
show  that  I  knew  it. 

"I  don't  think  the  terms  are  high  enough,"  said  I 
quietly,  as  if  weighing  them.  "  The  risk  is  enormous. " 

"  It  might  be  if  we  were  not  certain  of  success. " 

"  And  we  certainly  are  not. " 

"Why,  what  can  stand  in  the  way?  The  feeling 
against  the  King  grows  every  day.  What  do  you 
think  is  his  last  freak?  Another  confounded  palace, 
and  this  time  underground.  It  will  cost  millions  of 
marks — millions.  Do  you  suppose  the  people  are 
going  to  put  up  forever  with  this  sort  of  thing?  It 
has  only  just  leaked  out  in  Munich;  and  I  tell  you, 
man,  the  whole  country  will  take  fire  and  clamor  for 
his  deposition.  There  never  was  such  a  chance,  and 
never  will  be  such  another. " 

There  was  a  ring  of  sincerity  in  this  indignation 
quite  foreign  to  his  usual  manner,  and  I  could  not 
understand  it. 

"  And  what  is  your  plan?  "  I  asked. 

"To  strike — and  strike  at  once,"   he  cried  loudly, 
dashing  his  fist  down  on  the  table,  "  while  Munich  is 
mad  with  anger." 
5 


66  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

It  was  plausible  enough,  but  I  knew  the  man  for  a 
scoundrel. 

"  And  my  cousin — what  does  she  say?  "  I  asked. 

"She  can  have  no  choice,"  he  returned  readily. 
"  She  must  leave  these  things  to  us.  She  has  a  kind 
of  reluctance,  I  know,  and  her  heart  has  never  been 
really  in  the  work.  But  she  is  pledged  to  the  finger- 
tips and  can't  draw  back — at  least  without  betraying 
the  lot  of  us,  as  well  as  ruining  herself.  Sometimes  I 
wish,  indeed,  that  she  had  more  spirit.  Had  I  known 
she  felt  so  strongly  I  should  never  have  gone  in  so  deep 
myself. " 

"  Before  I  decide  anything  I  must  know  her  wishes," 
I  said. 

"  Her  wishes  will  be  ours — if  we  make  her  under- 
stand that  the  alternative  will  be  the  ruin  of  all  who 
have  taken  up  her  cause,  and  probably  the  death  of 
every  man  here.  Of  course  you'll  force  this  home 
upon  her? " 

"  It  must  first  be  forced  home  on  me,"  said  I. 

"You  know  von  Krugen's  views,"  he  urged. 

He  was  showing  too  much  earnestness  now,  and  his 
whole  manner  was  suggestive  of  a  secret  purpose. 
What  it  was  I  could  not  guess,  of  course ;  but  no  one 
could  fail  to  read  it  in  his  manner. 

"Yes,  I  know  von  Krugen's  views;  but  I  am  accus- 
tomed to  form  my  own  opinions  and  to  act  on  my  own 
judgment. " 

"  If  you  will  come  with  me  to  Munich,  I  will  give 
you  plenty  of  facts  to  convince  you. " 

He  spoke  with  an  assumption  of  lightness  in  his 
tone,  and  accompanied  the  words  with  a  shrug  of  the 
shoulders,  as  of  indifference.  But  the  man  was  as 
easy  to  read  as  a  book  in  some  respects.  I  saw  in- 


The  Scent  of  Treachery  67 

stantly  that  he  had  approached  one  of  the  chief  points 
at  which  he  had  been  aiming. 

"Of  course  I  will  go  with  you  to  Munich,"  I  an- 
swered readily ;  and  a  momentary  flash  of  pleasure  in 
his  eyes  gave  me  the  clew  I  needed.  It  was  at  Munich 
that  Minna's  brother  had  been  inveigled  into  the  duel 
and  killed,  and  this  man  had  come  back  from  there 
with  some  such  plan  against  myself.  My  death  would 
leave  the  girl  absolutely  without  a  friend  in  the  world. 

The  game  was  indeed  becoming  engrossing  in  its 
interests;  and  at  that  moment  I  began  to  see  the 
course  I  would  take  to  cut  the  coils  which  threatened 
her. 

"Before  I  go,"  I  added,  after  a  pause  that  was 
scarcely  perceptible  for  all  the  revelation  that  had 
come  to  me  in  it,  "  I  will  see  my  cousin,  and  hear  from 
her  lips  what  she  wishes." 

"  We  will  see  her  at  once,"  he  answered  instantly. 

"  With  your  permission,  I  will  see  her  alone. " 

"That  is  rather  a  strange  request,  Prince,"  he  re- 
turned in  a  tone  of  surprise,  "  considering  she  is  my 
promised  wife.  What  reason  have  you  for  making  it?  " 

"  I  wish  her  to  speak  freely  to  me,  unfettered  by 
either  you  or  von  Krugen's  insistent  persuasions.  She 
will  speak  more  freely  alone,  and,  as  head  of  the 
house,  I  choose  my  own  steps." 

"I  see  no  reason  for  it,"  he  replied  sharply.  "Do 
you  suggest  I  intimidate  her? " 

"  I  suggest  nothing,"  I  returned  quietly.  "  I  get  my 
information  in  my  own  way,  that  is  all.  If  you  object 
to  my  doing  that,  I  decline  to  get  it  in  yours.  My 
visit  to  Munich  can  stand  over  meanwhile." 

"But  things  can't  wait;  this  business  must  be  done 
at  once." 


68 

"  Then  the  short  cut  to  it  must  be  as  I  prefer  to 
direct. " 

The  mask  nearly  fell  from  him.  He  bit  his  lips,  and 
I  saw  the  anger  rush  to  his  eyes  and  face;  but  he 
checked  it,  and,  though  he  had  to  fight  hard  to  keep 
from  breaking  out,  he  answered  sufficiently  calmly : 

"  Oh,  if  you  set  so  much  store  by  it  as  all  that,  cer- 
tainly see  hef  alone.  You  will  find  out  no  more  than 
I  have  said." 

But  I  had  a  different  opinion ;  and  I  sent  up  a  mes- 
sage at  oiice  to  the  Countess  Minna  to  ask  for  an  inter- 
view immediately. 

"And  when  shall  we  start  for  Munich?"  I  asked 
when  the  messenger  had  gone.  "  To-morrow? " 

"The  sooner  the  better,"  he  replied;  and  again  I 
caught  a  fleeting,  stealthy  glint  of  pleasure  in  his  eyes. 


CHAPTER  VI 

MY    "COUSIN  " 

Mv  short  conversation  with  von  Nauheim,  the  sud- 
den change  in  his  attitude  toward  me,  and  the  slight 
indications  of  his  real  feelings  which  I  had  observed 
did  more  than  anything  which  had  yet  occurred  to 
impress  me  with  the  deadly  seriousness  of  the  task  I 
had  undertaken.  I  was  convinced  that  as  the  result 
of  this  visit  to  Munich  some  fresh  development  of 
treachery  had  been  planned,  and  that  he  was  closely 
concerned  as  either  principal  or  tool.  Fortunately  for 
me  he  was  a  poor  diplomatist,  and  as  my  former  knowl- 
edge of  him  gave  me  a  sufficient  clew  to  his  real  char- 
acter, he  could  not  so  dissemble  his  manner  as  to  mis- 
lead me.  Without  that  clew  he  might  have  tricked 
me,  of  course,  as  he  had  tricked  others.  Apparently 
his  interests  lay  entirely  in  carrying  forward  the  plot 
to  place  the  girl  he  was  to  marry  on  the  throne.  He 
would  certainly  secure  her  fortune,  while  as  her  con- 
sort he  would  enjoy  a  position  of  magnificent  power, 
infinitely  alluring  to  a  man  of  his  nature.  Moreover, 
he  was  the  chosen  representative  of  one  of  the  most 
influential  sections  of  Bavarian  society,  whose  power 
must  be  an  enormous  factor  in  any  struggle. 

Then  I  had  been  a  good  deal  impressed  by  his  mo- 
mentary flash  of  sincerity  when  he  had  been  speaking 
of  the  King's  mad  excesses.  He  was  then  expressing 
a  sincere  opinion,  I  was  sure,  though  whether  his  own 


70  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

or  inspired  by  others  for  whom  he  was  acting  I  could 
not  say.  But  the  thought  kept  recurring  to  me  with 
ever-increasing  suggestiveness. 

The  key  to  his  conduct  lay,  I  was  convinced,  in 
Munich — and  to  Munich  I  would  go  at  any  risk.  That 
there  would  be  risk  a  child  could  see ;  and  the  nature 
of  it  would  depend  on  the  character  of  this  man's 
treachery,  the  people  with  whom  he  was  co-operating, 
and  the  length  they  were  prepared  to  go  in  silenc- 
ing me. 

I  regarded  it  as  quite  possible  that  I  should  not  re- 
turn. If,  as  was  supposed,  the  death  of  the  Count 
Gustav  had  been  deliberately  planned,  I  might  take 
it  for  granted  that  I  should  be  pursued  with  almost 
equal  hostility.  This  I  had  read  plainly  in  the  man's 
manner,  and  it  prepared  me  to  believe  that  he  himself 
in  some  way  had  been  connected  with  Gustav 's  murder. 

But  there  was  another  very  serious  consideration. 
If  I  was  put  out  of  the  way  and  no  one  at  the  castle 
had  proof  of  von  Nauheim's  treachery,  what  would  be 
Minna's  position?  Obviously  it  must  at  once  become 
one  of  consummate  peril.  Ought  I  to  go  away,  there- 
fore, without  warning  her  of  the  man's  true  character, 
and  without  arranging  some  definite  plan  of  action? 
Yet  how  was  I  to  warn  her  without  telling  her  what  I 
knew  and  how  I  knew  it — in  other  words,  unless  I  took 
her  into  my  confidence  as  to  who  I  was? 

It  will  be  easily  understood  how  these  thoughts  per- 
plexed me  as  I  made  my  way  up  the  broad  stairway  of 
the  castle  to  the  room  where  she  was  to  receive  me, 
and  how  infinitely  the  embarrassment  was  magnified 
by  the  unwonted  emotions  which  her  presence  now,  as 
formerly,  roused  in  my  breast. 

She  greeted  me  with  sweet  cordiality,  and  the  eyes, 


My  "Cousin"  71 

which  had  an  indescribable  fascination  for  me,  wore 
now  an  expression  of  almost  anxious  alarm  as  their 
gaze  rested  on  my  very  grave  face.  The  Baroness 
Gratz  was  with  her,  a  circumstance  which  made  me 
unwilling  to  speak  plainly  and  added  to  my  embarrass- 
ment. 

I  inquired  after  the  health  of  the  two  and  uttered 
one  or  two  commonplaces,  when  Minna,  after  a  pause, 
during  which  she  had  most  attentively  studied  my 
looks,  exclaimed: 

"  You  have  not  come  only  to  say  these  things,  cousin. 
Your  face  tells  me  plainly  enough  there  is  something 
urgent." 

"  That  is  true.  I  have  much  to  say  that  concerns 
you  very  closely. " 

She  was  very  quick  and  understood  me. 

"  You  wish  to  speak  to  me  alone.  I  am  sure  you 
will  not  object,  aunt,  if  my  cousin  and  I  speak  to- 
gether in  the  window  there  " — and  she  rose  and  walked 
toward  a  large  bay  window  at  the  far  end  of  the  room, 
and  motioned  to  me  to  sit  beside  her. 

The  old  baroness  looked  surprised  and  a  little  indig- 
nant. It  was  no  occasion  to  stand  on  trifles,  but  I  did 
not  wish  to  offend  her  at  a  time  when  her  help  might 
be  urgently  needed — perhaps  within  a  few  hours ;  so  I 
made  a  low  deferential  bow  and  said: 

"  You  will  understand  this  rather  unusual  step,  bar- 
oness, when  I  tell  you  that  I  have  already  declined  to 
hold  this  interview  with  my  cousin  even  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Count  von  Nauheim,  and  that  my  object  is 
merely  to  have  direct  from  my  cousin's  lips  alone  her 
wishes  and  intentions  as  to  the  future." 

"  I  understand,  Prince,"  she  replied,  with  her  stately 
bow ;  but  I  thought  I  could  detect  some  symptoms  of 


72  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

alarm.  Whether  this  was  merely  awe  of  me,  or  the 
evidence  of  some  other  hidden  fear,  I  could  not  de- 
cide. But  the  whole  atmosphere  of  the  palace  reeked 
so  foully  with  intrigue  that  I  did  not  know  whether 
she  was  true  or  in  von  Nauheim's  plot. 

As  I  took  my  seat  by  Minna's  side  she  welcomed  me 
with  a  little  smile,  which,  sad  and  wan  though  it  was, 
seemed  like  a  little  messenger  of  confidence.  Then 
she  put  a  hand  on  my  arm  and  said  wistfully: 

"  You  will  treat  me  quite  frankly,  cousin?  I  have 
been  relying  on  that  so  strongly." 

"  As  frankly  as  I  can,  but  remember  very  little  yet. 
Moreover,  it  is  your  frankness  that  is  to  be  tested. 
Do  you  think  you  can  trust  me  sufficiently  to  do  as  you 
said  when  I  saw  you  last — tell  me  the  whole  of  your 
wishes  unreservedly?" 

" Certainly  I  will, "  she  replied  instantly.  "I  have 
been  waiting  to  do  so  ever  since  the  day  of  my  dear 
father's  funeral." 

u  I  understood  that  I  was  to  await  some  sign  from 
you.  You  said  as  much,"  I  reminded  her. 

"True;  but  your  message  to  me,  that  you  would 
seek  an  interview  as  soon  as  practicable,  has  kept  me 
waiting  till  now.  I  have  been  impatient ;  but  it  does 
not  matter  now,"  she  ended,  with  a  smile. 

"  Who  gave  you  my  message?"  I  asked.  I  had  sent 
none,  of  course,  but  guessed  that  it  was  a  ruse  of  von 
Nauheim's  to  keep  us  apart  while  he  was  away  in 
Munich. 

"The  count  himself,"  answered  the  girl  in  some  as- 
tonishment, and  with  a  look  of  quick  suspicion.  *'  Did 
you  not  send  any? " 

"There  has  been  some  misunderstanding,"  I  said 
quietly.  "  But  I  was  waiting  to  hear  from  you,  and 


My  "Cousin"  73 

I  was  to  the  full  as  impatient  as  you  could  have 
been." 

She  cast  her  eyes  down  and  frowned,  and  her  little 
foot  tapped  quickly  on  the  floor. 

"  It  must  be  as  you  say — he  misunderstood  you — or 
else  he  was  afraid  of  my  speaking-  plainly  to  you  while 
he  was  away."  The  first  sentence  was  spoken  with 
hesitation,  the  second  quickly  and  with  a  touch  of  in- 
dignation, and  directly  afterward  her  pulse  quickened 
and  she  said  volubly:  "Cousin  Hans,  I  can  tell  you 
what  I  dared  not  tell  my  father.  I  am  afraid  of  the 
count.  You  have  asked  me  what  I  wish.  I  have  two 
wishes — to  be  released  from  this  marriage,  and  to  stop 
all  this  hateful  intrigue  for  the  throne.  I  am  not  fit 
for  it.  I  do  not  wish  it.  I  am  only  afraid  and  har- 
assed and  distracted.  Oh,  I  long  with  a  regret  I  can- 
not put  in  words  for  the  days  of  quiet  and  peace  when 
none  of  this  was  ever  thought  of!  Then  I  had  not  a 
care  or  grief,  and  now  life  is  all  fear  and  sorrow.  I 
am  the  most  miserable  girl  on  earth." 

She  lifted  her  hands  and  let  them  fall  again  on  her 
lap  with  a  gesture  eloquent  of  despair,  and  now  that 
the  momentary  excitement  had  passed  her  voice  grew 
heavy  with  the  accents  of  sorrow. 

I  was  silent,  not  quite  knowing  how  to  meet  such  an 
outburst  of  grief  and  confidence. 

More  than  that,  however :  I  had  heard  with  a  rush  of 
joy,  which  I  dared  not  let  her  see,  the  outcry  against 
the  marriage.  At  that  moment  the  feeling  seemed  to 
me  like  a  guilty  one,  but  I  vowed  to  myself  that  if  it 
cost  me  every  drop  of  blood  in  my  body  I  would  save 
her  from  it.  But  I  sat  now  grave,  silent,  and  thought- 
ful, while  the  little  pathetic  glances  of  appeal  for  help 
which  she  cast  at  me  shot  right  into  my  heart  and 


74  '  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

thrilled  me  till    I    could  scarcely  hold  myself  under 
restraint. 

When  I  did  not  reply — and  I  did  not  because  I  dared 
not  trust  myself — she  sighed  deeply,  and  said  in  a  tone 
even  more  despairing  than  before : 

"  I  suppose  your  silence  means  that  you  also  are 
against  me.  Oh,  this  ambition!  What  a  curse  it  is! 
What  has  it  not  cost  us?  But  for  it  my  brother  would 
be  alive  to-day.  My  dear  father  was  just  as  surely 
another  of  its  victims.  I  am  forced  to  sacrifice  all  I 
care  for  on  earth  and  to  wed  a  man  whom  I  fear.  And 
now  you,  fresh  from  a  life  of  books,  on  whom  I  built 
so  much,  are  caught  by  the  same  madness,  the  fever 
burns  in  your  blood,  and  you  join  this  mad  hue-and- 
cry  after  ruin.  Ambition — ah,  my  father  often  rated 
me  for  my  lack  of  it ;  but  what  has  it  brought  to  us 
but  death,  and  what  does  it  promise  but  misery? 
Cousin  Hans,  I  beseech  you  with  all  my  heart  and 
soul  do  not  join  with  those  against  me.  Try  to 
see  this  with  my  eyes,  and  do  not  urge  me.  I 
know  you  will  think  me  weak  and  a  child,  a  feeble, 
helpless  coward;  but  I  cannot  go  on.  You  are  now 
my  only  hope.  Cousin,  do  say  you  will  not  side 
against  me ! " 

As  she  spoke  her  hands  clasped  my  arm  as  if  cling- 
ing to  me  for  help,  and  she  gazed  into  my  face  with 
such  yearning  appeal  that  had  I  been  a  stone,  or  the 
stern,  self-contained  man  I  had  tried  to  appear,  I  must 
have  been  moved.  And  I  was  no  stone  where  she  was 
concerned. 

"God  forbid  that  I  should  force  you,"  I  said,  my 
voice  scarcely  steady,  despite  my  efforts  to  control  it. 
"  Do  not  doubt  that  I  am  with  you  in  whatever  you 
decide." 


My  "Cousin"  75 

"  Oh,  thank  God,  thank  God !  How  I  have  hoped 
it !  Now  I  have  a  friend  indeed. " 

No  words  of  mine  can  describe  the  radiant  look  that 
came  on  her  face  as  she  cried  this;  and  the  smile  she 
gave  me  lives  in  my  memory  as  one  of  the  loveliest 
sights  my  eyes  have  ever  beheld. 

After  this  outburst  of  emotion  we  sat  silent  some 
minutes — she,  in  all  innocence  of  relief,  keeping  my 
hand  between  her  own  two ;  and  I,  on  my  side,  drink- 
ing in,  until  I  was  intoxicated,  the  sweetness  of  emo- 
tions such  as  had  never  stirred  my  heart  before. 

I  made  the  first  movement — a  slight  attempt  to  with- 
draw my  hand.  She  let  go,  and  then,  with  another 
smile  of  frank  pleasure  and  trust,  she  said: 

"  Not  only  my  cousin,  but  my  friend." 

"There  is  yet  much  to  do,"  I  said  gently. 

"  But  we  shall  do  it  together.  I  am  no  longer  alone 
with  all  against  me,  even  my  dear  father.  Tell  me 
what  is  first  to  be  done.  I  know  that  you  will  be  suc- 
cessful, for  you  have  given  me  hope.  Will  you  tell 
the  Count  von  Nauheim  that  the  marriage  project  is 
at  an  end,  or  shall  I?  I  will,  if  you  wish,  though  I 
have  been  afraid  of  him ;  but  no  longer,  for  you  are  on 
my  side." 

Sweet  as  these  renewed  protestations  of  trust  were 
to  my  ears  and  senses,  they  were  not  without  embar- 
rassment. 

"If  you  trust  me,  you  will  have  to  do  so  wholly,"  I 
said ;  "  and  you  must  do  as  I  wish,  even  if  it  is  alto- 
gether distasteful  to  you. " 

"I  will  do  whatever  you  tell  me,"  she  assented 
readily. 

"  Then  in  the  first  place  we  must  act  as  if  this  con- 
versation had  altered  nothing." 


76  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Do  you  mean  .  .  .  ? "  she  began,  with  a  frown  of 
repugnance,  and  then  stopped. 

"  I  mean  that  for  the  present  your  relations  with  the 
count  must  remain  as  they  have  been.  Do  not  ask  all 
my  reasons.  But  for  the  present  it  is  necessary  that 
no  one,  you  understand,  no  one  shall  have  any  thought 
that  we  are  not  going  on  with  your  father's  scheme." 
I  told  her  then  of  von  Nauheim's  visit  to  Munich 
and  its  result,  and  that  before  we  settled  anything 
we  must  know  more.  "I  should  be  deceiving  you," 
I  added,  "if  I  did  not  tell  you  that  grave  risks 
have  yet  to  be  run  in  this  matter,  and  the  danger 
to  some  of  us  may  prove  greater  than  we  can  avert. 
I  cannot  tell  you  all  my  thoughts,  but  I  am  going  to 
Munich " 

"Ah,  no,  not  there,  cousin.  That  is  where  Gustav 
was  killed." 

"They  will  not  kill  me,"  I  answered,  smiling  to  re- 
assure her.  "  It  is  essential  for  me  to  go  that  I  may 
probe  certain  matters  to  the  bottom.  Then  I  shall 
know  better  what  to  do  for  the  best." 

"  You  will  never  come  back.  They  will  not  let  you," 
she  wailed,  wringing  her  hands. 

"We  are  not  children  to  foster  silly  fears,"  I  said. 
"Of  course  there  are  risks  in  going,  but  there  is  cer- 
tain failure  if  I  do  not  go.  And  I  go  forewarned,  with 
your  brother's  fate  to  caution  me  to  be  wary,  and  with 
the  knowledge  that  you  depend  upon  me  to  rouse  my 
wits.  Do  not  fear.  I  shall  return  and  bring  with  me 
a  plan  of  action.  But  if  by  any  chance  I  should  not, 
you  will  know  there  is  danger  for  you.  I  shall  leave 
Captain  von  Krugen  here,  and  if  on  any  day  he  does 
not  hear  from  me,  that  very  day  you  and  the  Baroness 
Gratz  must  leave  the  castle  under  his  care,  cross  the 


My  "Cousin*'  77 

French  frontier,  and  fly  to  Paris.  I  shall  leave  full 
directions  as  to  this  with  von  Krugen.  From  Paris 
your  cause  can  be  best  fought.  But  above  all  things 
be  careful  not  to  let  your  whereabouts  be  known  to 
any  one  except  the  captain.  He  will  know  from  me 
how  to  act." 

She  sat  trembling  and  agitated. 

"  Why  not  say  at  once  that  the  marriage  has  been 
broken  off,  that  the  plot  is  abandoned,  and  cross  the 
frontier  immediately?" 

"  Because  I  hope  to  win  our  way  to  a  far  different 
ending  than  exile.  That  is  well  enough  as  a  last  re- 
source of  a  helpless  woman ;  but  these  men  will  find  me 
— well,  I  will  utter  no  big  words  till  I  know  more  and 
have  done  something.  I  am  looking  for  a  stroke  of 
double  cunning  somewhere,  and  I  do  not  expect  to 
look  in  vain.  In  my  view  you  are  safe  so  long  as 
these  men  believe  we  have  no  suspicion  of  them ;  but 
their  attitude  toward  you  may  change  at  any  moment. 
And  now  remember  that  even  von  Krugen,  honest  and 
stanch  as  I  believe  him,  must  know  nothing  of  our 
abandonment  of  the  plot  on  which  he  has  set  his 
hopes.  I  am  compelled  to  mislead  even  him,  and 
the  secret  must  be  yours  and  mine — ours  only.  You 
promise?" 

"  From  the  bottom  of  my  heart,"  she  answered  ear- 
nestly, putting  her  hand  into  mine.  "When  shall  I 
see  you  again?  "  she  asked  suddenly.  "  I  can  be  brave 
when  you  are  with  me,  and  I  will  try  not  to  play  the 
coward  in  your  absence.  But " — with  a  sigh — "  I  have 
no  friend  but  you." 

"Yes,  you  have  a  stanch  and  brave  friend  in  Cap- 
tain von  Krugen,"  I  answered,  "and  I  shall  be  back 
within  a  few  days." 


78  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

I  spoke  cheeringly  and  as  though  with  absolute  con- 
viction. 

"You  have  opened  a  new  gate  of  hope  for  me, 
cousin,"  she  said  as  I  rose  from  beside  her.  "But 
the  thought  of  your  leaving  me  is  almost  like  shutting 
it  again." 

"  It  shall  never  be  shut,  if  I  can  help  it,  until  you 
have  passed  through  to  a  safe  and  happy  life." 

I  spoke  earnestly  as  I  felt,  and  with  that  I  left  her. 

I  had  much  to  do  before  I  could  set  out  on  my  jour- 
ney, and  one  matter  especially  troubled  me.  I  must 
stop  von  Fromberg  from  selling  the  property  of  which 
the  old  lawyer  had  spoken  to  me,  and  I  was  at  a  loss 
how  to  communicate  with  him.  To  send  a  letter 
through  the  post  I  dared  not ;  to  go  to  him  myself  was 
impossible ;  yet  whom  could  I  trust  to  carry  a  letter  or 
message?  If  the  sale  were  not  stopped,  suspicion 
would  certainly  be  created ;  and  after  much  considera- 
tion I  resolved  to  word  a  guarded  letter  addressed  to 
Henri  Frombe,  and  entrust  it  to  Steinitz.  I  had  meant 
to  take  him  with  me  to  Munich  lest  I  should  need  as- 
sistance, but  this  other  matter  was  more  urgent. 

I  sent  for  him  now  and  charged  him  on  his  honor  to 
take  the  letter,  and  himself  to  place  it  in  M.  Frombe 's 
hands  when  no  one  else  was  present ;  to  ask  no  ques- 
tions, and  to  answer  none ;  but  simply  to  bring  back 
to  me  direct  to  Munich  the  reply,  and  not  to  breathe  a 
word  to  a  soul  about  the  mission. 

"  My  life  may  depend  on  your  loyalty,"  I  said  when 
I  gave  him  the  packet,  "  and  probably  also  that  of  the 
Countess  Minna,  and  most  certainly  the  whole  future 
of  our  scheme,"  and  I  exacted  a  pledge  of  loyalty. 

It  was  a  risk,  of  course,  but  then  risks  were  all 
about  me,  and  I  could  not  avoid  taking  some.  All 


My  "Cousin"  79 

I  could  hope  to  do  was  to  manage  to  select  the  smaller 
ones. 

Then  I  had  a  close  and,  to  a  point,  confidential  con- 
ference with  von  Krugen;  and  I  explained  clearly 
what  he  was  to  do  in  the  event  of  anything  happening 
to  me  at  Munich. 

"  If  there  is  no  treachery  there  will  be  no  danger  in 
this  journey  of  mine ;  but  if  there  is,  and  I  am  only 
too  sure  of  it,  then  we  know  that  those  who  are  play- 
ing traitor  will  try  to  get  rid  of  me  in  order  to  render 
my  cousin  helpless  and  in  their  power.  That  you 
must  prevent;  and  her  safety  will  rest  almost  solely 
with  you." 

"But  the  Count  von  Nauheim?"  he  asked  in  some 
surprise. 

"You  will  trust  no  one  but  yourself,  captain,"  I  re- 
turned significantly. 

"  If  I  had  proof  that  he  was  a  traitor!  "  he  growled. 

"  I  am  going  to  get  proofs  concerning  everything. 
Unless  this  is  all  genuine,  our  scheme  is  bound  to  be 
shipwrecked." 

His  face  grew  very  dark  and  lowering. 

"  My  place  is  by  your  side  in  Munich,"  he  said. 

"  If  I  can  find  the  traitors,  you  may  share  in  their  pun- 
ishment; but  meanwhile  your  place  is  here  in  Gram- 
berg  to  guard  my  cousin.  And  if  you  should  have 
even  a  thought  of  danger  while  I  am  away,  call  me 
back  at  once.  But  if  my  calculations  are  correct  there 
will  be  no  immediate  danger  for  her." 

"  Your  Highness  will  not  reckon  on  me  in  vain.  But 
I  would  to  God  I  could  be  with  you  there.  You  are 
taking  your  life  in  your  hands,  and  ought  not  to  go 
alone." 

"  If  there  is  that  amount  of  danger,  better  I  alone 


80  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

than  you  with  me ;  but  I  am  well  prepared,  and  shall 
not  suffer  things  to  reach  that  pass" — and  I  repeated  at 
great  length  and  detail  all  that  I  wished  him  to  do  in 
the  event  of  his  having  to  fly  to  Paris. 

At  the  close  of  the  interview  he  gave  me  a  solemn 
pledge  to  carry  out  my  wishes,  and  showed  many  signs 
of  loyal  regard  for  myself,  mingled  with  genuine  anxi- 
ety as  to  the  issue  of  this  journey  to  Munich.  Then 
I  sent  word  to  von  Nauheim  that  I  should  be  ready  to 
start  with  him  on  the  following  day,  and  I  passed  a 
sleepless,  tossing  night  seeking  to  piece  together  in 
a  connected  whole  the  fragments  of  the  problem  as  I 
possessed  them,  and  to  estimate  the  actual  perils  and 
risks  of  what  I  knew  must  be  an  eventful  journey. 


CHAPTER  VII 

AT    MUNICH 

WHEN  we  started  for  Munich  it  required  very  little 
observation  to  see  that  von  Nauheim  was  striving 
sedulously  to  conceal  the  fact  that  he  attached  such 
critical  importance  to  my  accompanying  him.  In- 
deed, had  I  had  no  prior  knowledge  of  him,  I  think 
his  demeanor  would  have  roused  my  suspicions. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  tell  me  what  passed  between 
you  and  Minna  yesterday,"  he  said  when  we  were  in 
the  train.  "  You've  produced  a  considerable  change 
in  her,  for  I  found  her  much  more  willing  to  go  on 
with  us  than  she  was  before." 

"  I  gave  her  to  understand  that  very  much  must  de- 
pend on  the  result  of  this  journey.  If  I  am  satisfied 
that  there  is  reason  to  hope  for  success,  it  will  be  at 
least  an  impartial  opinion — for  at  present  I  have  not 
much  faith.  And  I  suppose  she  attaches  a  great  deal 
of  importance  to  that." 

"  Did  you  urge  her  not  to  throw  us  over?  I  presume 
you  did." 

"Why  should  I?     I  am  not  convinced  myself." 

"  Well,  here  are  signs  enough  of  the  popular  indig- 
nation, at  any  rate,"  he  said  as  he  tossed  me  a  morning 
paper  with  some  very  strong  comments  on  the  lunatic 
King's  acts. 

"Discontent  is  one  thing,  rebellion  another,"  I  re- 
plied as  I  opened  the  paper  to  read  what  he  pointed 
6 


82  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

out.     I  had  no  wish  to  talk,  but  to  think,  and  I  made 
as  though  I  were  engrossed  in  the  paper. 

My  companion  took  another  journal  and  played  at 
reading  it ;  but  I  saw  him  watching  me  every  now  and 
then,  until  the  paper  fell  on  his  lap,  and  he  stared  out 
of  the  window  obviously  buried  in  his  thoughts.  I 
knew  the  tenor  of  them  later  when  his  face  changed, 
and  he  turned  to  speak. 

"You  will  stay  with  me,  of  course,  Prince?"  he 
said. 

"Certainly,"  I  replied  readily,  although  half  a  hun- 
dred suspicions  were  started  of  his  probably  sinister' 
motive  for  the  invitation. 

"  It  will  be  so  much  more  convenient  for  our  pur- 
pose than  your  going  to  the  Gramberg  town-house,"  he 
said.  "I've  been  thinking  of  the  best  course  to  take. 
What  sort  of  proof  do  you  wish  to  have  that  measures 
are  ripe? " 

"An  interview  with  those  who  are  to  carry  them 
out,  of  course. " 

"  That  will  be  best ;  and  fortunately  most  of  them 
are  in  Munich.  Then  I  presume  you  will  be  prepared 
to  do  what  all  the  rest  of  us  have  done — take  an  oath 
of  allegiance  to  the  new  Queen? " 

"  When  I  join  you,  I  will  do  whatever  the  rest  do. ' 

"  We  are  all  pledged  to  the  hilt.  Every  man  of  us 
has  made  the  oath  and  signed  a  declaration  to  uphold 
the  good  cause. " 

"  Signed  a  declaration?  That  seems  a  strong  step," 
I  said,  though  all  forms  were  pretty  much  the  same 
thing  to  me. 

"  But  a  necessary  one.  There  is  no  drawing  back 
then,"  he  answered. 

"  Well,  I  will  sign  what  I  see  others  sign  and  do  what 


At  Munich  83 

others  do,"  I  replied  firmly.  "  But,  understand,  I  must 
see  these  things  done  before  my  eyes."  I  said  this  be- 
cause of  an  idea  that  flashed  into  my  thoughts  at  that 
moment. 

"You  are  disposed  to  be  cautious  to  the  verge  of 
timidity,  eh?  "  he  sneered. 

"I  am  resolved  to  satisfy  myself ,"  I  returned;  and 
for  a  reason  that  I  kept  to  myself  I  rather  liked  the 
idea  of  what  he  had  said. 

After  a  pause  he  continued : 

"  Roughly,  what  I  propose  is  this :  I  will  take  you 
round  to  introduce  you  to  the  more  prominent  men — 
in  particular  to  Baron  Heckscher,  who  is  really  the 
leader  of  us ;  and  then  we  will  have  a  meeting  at  my 
rooms,  where  everything  can  be  explained  and  set- 
tled. What  say  you? " 

"  I  agree ;  but  of  course  I  reserve  my  right  to  take 
any  other  step  I  may  think  necessary  that  suggests 
itself  to  me." 

"Naturally,  naturally!"  he  exclaimed.  "Now  that 
the  Prince  has  gone  we  are  only  too  glad  to  have  a 
cautious,  calculating  head  to  take  his  part. " 

The  words  were  as  false  as  the  man.  I  read  it  in 
his  tone  and  manner ;  and  he  was  far  more  ready  to 
curse  me,  had  he  dared,  for  my  profession  of  caution. 
But  I  pressed  it,  because  I  knew  that  this  exaggerated 
carefulness  was  the  best  evidence  of  my  seeming  sin- 
cerity. 

A  long  silence  followed,  during  which  I  weighed 
carefully  all  he  had  said.  His  manner  in  speaking  of 
these  details  was  tinged  by  a  singular  nervousness ;  he 
blurted  out  his  points  like  a  man  who  has  been  given 
a  task  which  has  overweighted  him.  And  he  suggested 
to  me  the  condition  of  a  poor  actor  who  has  had  his 


84  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

part  drilled  into  him  by  a  subtler  hand,  and  says  his 
lesson  badly. 

Presently  he  began  again : 

"  Of  course  you'll  understand  we  are  all  putting  our- 
selves into  your  hands  and  in  your  power  in  this  mat- 
ter; and  the  more  so  with  every  additional  step  we 
take."  He  was  coming  to  another  point  in  his  lesson, 
I  thought.  "  You  will  give  me  your  solemn  pledge  not 
to  divulge  a  single  name  you  hear,  nor  a  single  fact  that 
is  told  to  you.  If  you'll  do  that  now,  I'll  give  you  an 
outline  of  our  plans  at  once." 

"  You  can  tell  me  as  much  or  as  little  as  you  please. 
I  pledge  my  honor  to  use  nothing,  except  as  the  inter- 
est of  my  cousin  may  require — and  that,  I  presume,  is 
the  intention  of  all  concerned." 

He  frowned  and  bit  his  lips  and  thought  a  moment. 

"Of  course  that's  the  intention;  what  else  could 
it  be? " 

"  Then  if  you  want  me  to  join  you  you  must  trust 
me ;  otherwise  I  may  as  well  go  back  to  Gramberg  at 
once.  But,  of  course,  my  return  will  be  the  signal  for 
throwing  the  whole  thing  up  at  once.  It  is  for  you  to 
choose." 

"  I  had  better  tell  you,"  he  said  after  another  pause. 
"  Things  are  nearly  ripe ;  almost  as  forward  as  when 
that  hot-headed  fellow  Gustav  wrecked  everything  by 
losing  his  temper  and  getting  involved  in  that  duel. 
We  have  resolved  to  take  up  the  Prince's  scheme  pretty 
much  where  it  was  dropped.  In  a  fortnight's  time 
there  will  be  an  excellent  time  for  striking  the  final 
blow.  We  have  friends  in  all  the  public  offices;  sev- 
eral of  the  Ministers  themselves  are  ready  to  welcome 
the  change ;  the  whole  bodyguard  of  the  King  at  the 
palace  is  practically  composed  of  our  men ;  and  every- 


At  Munich  85 

thing  promises  success.  The  King  will  be  at  the  pal- 
ace, and  we  have  arranged  that  a  great  fancy-dress 
ball  shall  be  given  on  a  certain  night.  His  lunatic 
Majesty  is,  as  perhaps  you  know,  rather  madder  on  that 
subject  than  on  any  other ;  and  he  delights  in  dressing 
himself  up  in  half  a  dozen  different  costumes  in  the 
course  of  a  single  night  to  perplex,  as  he  thinks,  all 
who  are  present,  and  get  at  the  real  sentiments  of  his 
people  about  him.  But  his  attendants  always  arrange 
that  his  costume  shall  bear  a  certain  mark  by  which 
he  will  be  known.  In  this  way  the  ass  of  a  King  is 
fooled  to  the  top  of  his  bent,  and  instead  of  hearing 
genuine  opinions  about  himself  hears  only  those  which 
are  carefully  tuned  for  his  ears.  Well,  our  scheme  is 
to  have  this  royal  mark  worn  by  some  one  who  is  not 
the  King ;  to  have  the  King  himself  seized  and  placed 
under  restraint ;  to  let  Minna  be  at  hand  at  the  ball, 
and  as  soon  as  it  is  known  that  the  King  has  gone  to 
proclaim  her  there  and  then." 

"An  ingenious  scheme,  so  far  as  the  easy  part  of 
abducting  the  King  is  concerned,"  I  replied.  "But 
the  difficulties  only  begin  when  he  is  out  of  the  way. 
What  are  you  going  to  do  with  him — kill  him?  " 

"  No,  there  will  be  no  bloodshed.  There  is  no  need. 
The  whole  country  is  ready  for  the  abdication ;  nine- 
tenths  of  the  best  men  are  on  our  side — and  the  other 
tenth  will  come  in ;  and  to  give  the  thing  plausibility 
we  are  going  to  have  a  sort  of  drama  at  the  ball,  in 
which  the  King — the  sham  one,  of  course — will  an- 
nounce his  abdication  and  appoint  his  successor — 
Minna.  That  act  of  abdication  will  be  written,  and 
on  examination  will  be  found  to  be  actually  in  the 
handwriting  of  the  King  himself.  The  whole  scene 
will  be  described  to  the  country  as  an  actual  occur- 


86  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

rence ;  and  this  will  be  on  the  authority  of  the  fore 
most  men  in  Bavaria — a  sort  of  informal  Council  of 
State.  It  will  be  a  definite  and  formal  abdication. 
That  of  itself  will  silence  opposition  and  carry  the 
people,  who  are,  indeed,  only  too  eager  to  need  much 
argument. " 

"  And  the  King  himself? " 

"  He  will  simply  be  put  where  he  ought  to  have  been 
long  enough  ago — under  restraint." 

It  was  a  clever  plot,  and,  given  the  power  behind 
those  carrying  it  out,  as  likely  to  be  successful  as  any 
that  human  wit  could  have  devised. 

"  But  what  of  the  Ostenburg  interest? "  I  rapped  out 
the  question  sharply,  with  a  keen,  quick  glance,  and  for 
a  moment  it  seemed  to  disconcert  him  slightly. 

"We  do  not  put  their  power  very  high,"  he  said 
then.  "  They  think  our  chances  ended  with  Gustav's 
death,  and  that,  now  the  old  Prince  has  gone,  there  is 
no  one  to  carry  the  thing  a  step  farther.  But  we  must, 
of  course,  lose  no  time,  and  must  strike  before  they 
even  think  we  are  contemplating  any  action  at  all. 
We  shall  catch  them  utterly  unprepared;  and,  in  a 
thing  of  this  kind,  to  be  unprepared  is  to  lose. " 

"  Do  you  mean  you  think  they  will  surrender  their 
claim  to  the  throne  without  a  struggle  of  any  sort? " 

"  No ;  but  they  can  do  nothing  when  once  we  are  in 
possession." 

"  But  the  Imperial  authorities  at  Berlin,  man? " 

"  The  one  consideration  there  is  the  de  facto  argu- 
ment. Let  us  get  possession,  backed  by  formal  abdi- 
cation and  the  actual  document  appointing  Minna  to 
the  succession,  and  Berlin  may  do  what  it  likes.  They 
will  think  twice  before  risking  a  civil  war  in  the  coun- 
try to  maintain  the  rights  of  a  lunatic.  At  least 


At   Munich  87 

so  longer  heads  than  mine  hold,  and  I  agree  with 
them. " 

"Well,  I  shall  see,"  and  I  was  bound  to  confess  to 
myself  that,  if  everything  was  genuine,  the  inference 
he  drew  was  right.  I  knew  enough  of  the  sort  of  ar- 
gument that  weighs  at  Berlin  to  be  sure  of  this. 

But  was  it  genuine?  If  not,  where  was  the  flaw? 
And  all  the  rest  of  the  journey  I  sat  pondering  this 
part  of  the  problem,  and  reviewing  again  and  again  all 
he  had  said. 

I  was  much  impressed  by  it. 

Two  points  in  particular  stood  out  boldly  in  my 
thoughts:  If  this  plot  could  be  carried  through — and 
I  was  half  inclined  to  believe  it  possible — Minna  could 
make  far  better  terms,  if  she  still  wished  to  recede, 
when  success  had  been  attained  than  she  could  at 
present.  If  there  were  at  the  back  of  the  scheme  all 
this  influence  of  which  von  Nauheim  had  spoken,  it 
would  be  a  dangerous  thing  for  her  to  throw  over 
those  who  had  supported  her  without  securing,  at 
least,  their  safety  as  well  as  her  own.  That  would  be 
dishonorable  and  cowardly,  and  I  knew  she  would  not 
consent  to  such  a  course.  If  these  representations 
were  correct,  therefore,  I  began  to  fear  that  Minna 
had  been  too  far  pledged  to  be  able  to  draw  back  at 
this  juncture.  We  must  go  forward  until  the  best 
terms  could  be  made. 

But  against  this  I  knew  that  the  man  who  was  giv- 
ing me  the  information  was  as  false  as  hell  itself;  and, 
even  while  I  sat  meditating  and  brooding  over  what 
he  had  said,  I  caught  the  swift,  searching,  cunning 
glances  which  he  darted  every  now  and  then  at  me 
as  if  to  see  how  far  he  had  fooled  me. 

It  was  in  this  mood  of  fresh  doubt  that  I  arrived  at 


88  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

Munich,  and  drove  with  him  to  his  rooms.  The  sump- 
tuous comfort  and  costly  appointments  of  these  sur- 
prised me.  When  I  had  known  him  years  before,  he 
had  had  but  scanty  means,  and  his  family  were  com- 
paratively poor.  Yet  these  rooms  of  his  were  fit  for 
a  man  of  the  largest  fortune.  Even  this  circumstance 
added  to  my  suspicions.  If  he  was  a  traitor,  he  was 
being  well  paid  for  his  treachery. 

The  journey  with  me  in  the  train  and  the  fact  that 
he  was  now  in  his  own  house  seemed  to  put  him  more 
at  his  ease. 

"  I  shall  have  to  leave  you  for  a  considerable  time, 
Prince,  while  I  prepare  our  friends  for  your  visits," 
he  said;  "but  you  will  of  course  consider  this  quite  as 
your  own  house.  This  evening,  or  probably  to-mor- 
row, we  can  get  to  work.  In  the  mean  time,  if  you  do 
not  already  know  Munich,  you  will  find  no  lack  of 
interesting  sights. " 

For  the  rest  of  that  day  I  was  left  to  my  own  de- 
vices, and  we  did  not  meet  until  late  in  the  evening, 
when  he  told  me  his  plans  for  the  next  day,  and  that 
he  had  arranged  for  a  round  of  interviews  with  the 
leading  men  on  our  side. 

The  result  of  them  was  only  to  increase  my  perplex- 
ity. Wherever  I  went  I  was  welcomed  cordially,  my 
co-operation  requested,  my  caution  approved,  and  the 
most  complete  assurances  given  to  me  on  all  points. 
Had  the  success  of  the  scheme  depended  entirely  upon 
my  joining  in  it,  I  could  not  have  been  more  warmly 
welcomed. 

I  could  not  understand  it  in  the  least.  Every  ques- 
tion I  asked  was  answered,  as  it  seemed,  quite  fully 
and  frankly ;  and  every  investigation  I  made  only  con- 
vinced me  that  the  ramifications  of  the  plot  were  vastly 


At  Munich  89 

wider  than  I  imagined,  and  that  the  prospects  of  suc- 
cess were  enough  to  force  me  to  believe  in  it. 

And  yet  I  could  not  shake  off  my  suspicions.  I 
could  find  no  ground  for  them  other  than  my  knowl- 
edge of  von  Nauheim.  There  was  nothing  but  that 
to  warrant  them.  But  the  more  closely  I  watched  him 
the  more  uneasy  I  became,  and  the  more  convinced 
that  he  at  least  had  some  double  motive. 

I  was  in  the  position  of  a  man  who  is  being  per- 
suaded to  a  course  he  dislikes  against  every  prejudice 
and  instinct  of  his  nature,  and  despite  his  earnest  de- 
sire to  trust  his  instinct.  I  did  not  wish  to  find  the 
affair  genuine,  but  I  could  find  no  flaw  anywhere, 
probe,  search,  suspect,  and  investigate  as  I  would. 

At  the  end  of  the  fourth  day  I  could  not  deny  they 
had  a  right  to  ask  for  a  definite  decision  for  me  to 
throw  in  my  lot  with  them,  and,  while  I  was  dead 
against  doing  so,  I  could  not  suggest  a  single  reason 
of  value  and  force  for  my  opinion.  The  meeting  to 
receive  my  decision  was  fixed  for  the  sixth  evening, 
and  I  looked  forward  to  it  with  considerable  appre- 
hension. 

The  previous  day  I  resolved  to  use  for  a  purpose  that 
was  almost  as  critical  as  the  object  of  the  visit  to  Mu- 
nich. It  was  an  inquiry  that  I  alone  could  make  as 
to  von  Nauheim 's  past. 

I  knew  that  in  the  days  when  he  had  dealt  his  das- 
tardly injury  on  my  family  he  had  a  wife,  whom  he 
had  married  secretly,  living  in  Thuringia.  I  was  al- 
most alone  in  the  knowledge,  which  I  had  gained  by 
accident,  and  my  purpose  now  was  to  ascertain  if  she 
was  still  alive. 

Fortune  favored  my  investigation.  The  wife  was 
still  in  the  town,  living  in  a  humble  way  as  a  shop- 


90  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

keeper,  and  still  ignorant  of  the  real  position  and  char- 
acter of  her  husband.  I  had  no  difficulty  in  finding 
her,  and  using  part  of  my  knowledge  of  years  before. 
I  had  some  conversation  with  her  and  her  two  chil- 
dren, eliciting  the  fact  that  she  had  not  seen  von 
Nauheim  for  years,  did  not  know  whether  he  was 
alive  or  dead,  and  did  not  care.  She  was  earning 
her  own  living  and  educating  her  children,  and 
prayed  only  that  she  might  be  troubled  by  the  man 
no  more. 

It  was  not  my  cue  to  stir  muddy  waters.  All  I 
needed  was  to  know  where  to  put  my  hand  upon  her 
at  any  moment  that  it  might  be  necessary  to  spoil  the 
scoundrel's  schemes. 

The  villain  meant  to  deceive  Minna  von  Gramberg 
as  he  had  deceived  my  sister  years  before,  and  my 
thoughts  about  him  were  bitter  and  black  and  wrathful 
as  the  train  whirled  me  back  through  the  summer 
night  to  Munich.  But  I  was  jubilant  too;  for  I  held 
the  knowledge  that  must  inevitably  frustrate  his 
scheme,  and  I  resolved  that  I  would  use  it  at  the  forth- 
coming meeting,  if  no  other  cause  suggested  itself,  to 
refuse  to  go  forward  any  farther.  It  was,  of  course, 
an  ample  reason  for  such  refusal ;  and  as  I  had  the 
proofs  so  fresh  in  my  hands,  there  was  not  a  man  of 
honor  in  the  affair  who  would  not  say  I  was  doing 
right.  But  events  were  to  happen  destined  to  change 
all  this  current  of  my  thoughts. 

When  I  reached  Munich  it  was  late,  but  a  mild,  soft 
night,  and  I  loitered  through  the  deserted  streets  on 
my  way  to  von  Nauheim 's  house,  enjoying  the  walk. 
I  had  to  pass  through  one  of  the  outlying  parts  of  the 
city,  and  I  was  walking  very  slowly,  thinking  and 
smoking,  when  I  was  startled  by  a  loud  and  sudden 


GRASPING    MY    SUCK    WITH    BOTH    HANDS,    I    CLENCHED    MY    TEETH, 
AND    RUSHED    UPON    THE   VILLAINS    FROM    BEHIND. 


At  Munich  91 

cry  for  help  that  came  from  some  distance  ahead  of 
me.  I  am  a  swift  runner,  and  I  set  off  at  my  fastest 
pace,  the  cry,  which  was  repeated,  being  my  guide.  I 
passed  two  or  three  streets,  crossed  a  broad,  dark 
square,  and  then  I  heard  the  cry  for  the  third  time, 
and  with  it  the  sound  of  men  struggling  and  fighting, 
and  the  clash  of  steel.  I  had  no  weapon  with  me  save 
a  stout  oak  stick ;  but  I  gave  no  thought  to  my  own 
danger  as  I  rushed  on,  and  set  up  an  answering  shout 
to  let  it  be  known  that  I  was  at  hand.  As  I  reached 
the  other  side  of  the  square  I  came  suddenly  in  full 
view  of  the  disturbance. 

Four  men,  two  armed  with  swords  and  two  having 
knives,  were  attacking  one  man,  who,  with  his  back 
to  the  wall,  was  fighting  for  his  life  like  a  demon,  par- 
rying, lunging,  and  thrusting  with  amazing  dexterity 
and  skill.  He  had  been  wounded,  however,  I  could 
tell,  and  although  he  had  wounded  more  than  one  of 
his  assailants,  he  was  in  a  very  fair  way  of  coming 
badly  out  of  the  fight. 

Fired  by  the  infernal  cowardice  of  the  four  men  in 
setting  on  one,  I  let  out  an  oath,  and,  grasping  my  stick 
with  both  hands,  I  clenched  my  teeth,  and  rushed  upon 
the  villains  from  behind.  I  brought  the  heavy  knob  of 
my  stick  down  with  crushing  force  upon  the  arm  of 
the  man  nearest  me,  making  the  arm  drop  nerveless 
by  his  side,  and  sending  his  sword  clattering  down  on 
the  stones ;  and  then  I  turned  and  smashed  it  with  all 
my  force  right  into  the  face  of  a  second  man  who  made 
as  if  to  attack  me.  At  the  same  instant  he  who  had 
been  assailed  in  the  first  instance  drove  his  sword 
through  a  third;  and,  seeing  this  unexpected  turn 
given  to  matters,  the  fourth  ran  away — an  example 
which  the  rest  followed. 


92  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"You  came  in  the  nick  of  time,  friend,"  said  the  man 
coolly,  coming  toward  me.  "  Another  two  minutes  or 

so  and  these  beasts  would  have  done What! 

Heinrich  Fischer!  "  he  cried,  in  a  tone  of  the  greatest 
astonishment,  holding  out  his  hand.  "  This  is  well  met 
indeed." 

I  did  not  think  so ;  for  it  was  with  something  akin 
to  dismay  that  I  recognized  a  French  fencing-master, 
named  Guion,  with  none  too  savory  a  reputation,  from 
whom,  in  the  days  of  my  play-acting,  I  had  lessons  in 
stage  fencing.  I  gave  him  my  hand,  but  I  could  not 
make  the  clasp  cordial. 

"  How  came  you  in  this  plight,  M.  Guion?  " 

He  laughed. 

"Guion?  Was  that  my  name  then?  French,  I  sup^ 
pose.  By  the  body  of  the  devil,  I  have  such  a  lot  of 
names  and  countries  I  can't  remember  them  all.  But 
I  only  use  one  at  a  time,  and  now,  my  good  sir,  I  am 
a  Corsican,  and  my  name  is  Praga — Juan  Praga,  at 
your  service,  and  not  ashamed  to  own  that  I  owe  you 
my  life.  But  what's  the  matter  with  you? " 

"Praga!"  I  cried.  "So  it's  you,  is  ft,  who  fought 
the  young  Count  von  Gramberg  and  killed  him? " 

"  Ho,  and  what  in  the  name  of  the  devil's  skin  do 
you  know  about  that?  But  it's  true,  and  it's  equally 
true  that  to-night's  business  is  part  of  the  result.  But, 
by  the  blood!" — and  his  face  snarled  like  an  angry 
dog's — "  I'll  make  them  pay." 

"I  can  help  you  to  your  revenge,"  I  said  impul- 
sively. "  Let's  go  where  we  can  be  alone." 

He  stared  at  me  as  if  in  the  greatest  astonishment, 
then  shrugged  his  shoulders,  laughed,  swore  copiously, 
and  then  laughed  again  and  said : 

"  You?     Well,  you've  saved  my  life,  so  it's  only  fair 


At  Munich  93 

you  should  do  what  you  please  with  it.     Come  along 
with  me." 

And  he  led  me  away,  vowing  and  protesting,  by  all 
the  saints  in  and  out  of  the  calendar,  that  all  he  had  in 
the  world,  whether  purse,  sword,  or  life  itself,  was  at 
my  absolute  disposal. 


CHAPTER  VIII 
PRAGA'S  STORY 

MY  thoughts  as  I  walked  with  my  devil-may-care 
companion  to  his  rooms  were  busy  enough.  How 
could  I  get  out  of  him  what  he  knew  without  compro- 
mising myself,  and  how  explain  that  I  was  no  longer 
Heinrich  Fischer,  the  actor,  but  the  Prince  von  Gram- 
berg,  without  starting  his  suspicions?  My  hasty  ex- 
clamation that  I  could  help  him  to  his  revenge  had 
been  exceedingly  foolish,  and  I  was  at  a  loss  to  know 
how  far  I  could  trust  him  to  keep  any  secret. 

He  took  me  to  his  rooms,  and  very  comfortable 
quarters  they  were.  I  noticed,  too,  that  he  was  far 
better  dressed  than  I  had  ever  seen  him  in  Frankfort. 
He  was  a  dark,  swarthy,  lean-faced,  lithe  fellow,  and 
his  black  eyes,  keen  and  daring,  noticed  my  look  of 
questioning  surprise,  and  he  laughed,  showing  his 
gleaming  white  teeth  in  the  lamplight. 

"  Not  the  first  time  I  owe  my  life  to  that  little  fel- 
low," he  said,  laying  his  sword-stick,  an  ordinary-look- 
ing stout  malacca  cane,  on  the  table.  "  A  workman 
should  never  travel  without  his  tools,  remember  that, 
my  friend.  And  so  you  are  surprised  to  see  me  so 
comfortably  placed,  eh?  Well,  I  am  a  man  of  means, 
and  live  at  my  ease — at  least  I  was.  But  shall  I  tell 
you? " 

"  By  all  means,"  said  I,  throwing  myself  into  a  chair, 
anxious  to  get  him  to  talk  freely. 


Praga's  Story  95 

"  First  let  us  drink ;  and  I  may  thank  the  Holy  Vir- 
gin and  you — but  especially  you,  I  think — that  my 
throat  is  still  sound  enough  to  swallow  good  liquor — 
the  one  thing  in  life  the  loss  of  which  makes  one  think 
of  death  regretfully." 

And  he  tossed  off  a  glass  of  wine. 

"Are  you  wounded?  "  I  asked. 

"  A  scratch  somewhere  on  my  arm — may  God  blight 
the  hand  that  dealt  it!"  He  changed  in  a  moment 
from  a  light  tone  to  one  of  vehement  passion,  and 
then  as  quickly  back  again  to  one  of  cheery  chatter. 
"If  He  doesn't,  I  will;  so  that's  settled.  Let's  see 
to  the  scratch,  though."  He  took  off  his  coat,  exam- 
ined the  hurt,  and  I  bathed  it  and  bound  it  up  care- 
fully. "A  mere  nothing,"  he  said,  "for  me,  that  is — 
not  for  him." 

For  a  moment  or  two  he  moved  about  the  room  as 
if  occupied,  and  then  he  turned  to  me,  and  with  a  light 
laugh,  but  a  piercing  look  from  his  dark,  glittering 
eyes,  he  asked: 

"  And  now,  tell  me,  who  are  you?  " 

"The  Prince  von  Gramberg,"  I  answered  instantly. 

I  was,  indeed,  half  prepared  for  the  question,  for  I  had 
been  studying  him  carefully.  The  answer  pleased  him. 

"  Good.  You  are  not  afraid  to  tell  me  the  truth. 
But  I  knew  it.  You  had  been  pointed  out  to  me  here 
in  Munich — pointed  out,  do  you  understand,  for  a  pur- 
pose. And  I  said  to  myself,  the  Prince  von  Gramberg 
and  Heinrich  Fischer  are  the  same  person.  Why? 
And  when  I  could  not  answer  the  question  I  thought 
to  myself:  I  will  wait.  Here  is  a  secret.  It  may 
pay  me  to  keep  my  tongue  still.  So  you  see  I  know 
you. " 

"  You  were  going  to  tell  me  about  yourself.     That 


96  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

will  interest  me  more  than  your  speculations  as  to  my 
reasons  for  turning  actor  for  a  year  or  two. " 

I  spoke  with  an  air  of  indifference. 

"  The  canaille !  "  he  exclaimed  angrily,  with  a  bitter 
scowl.  "  They  were  sick  of  me.  I  know  too  much.  I 
am  dangerous.  I  will  no  longer  do  their  work ;  and 
so,  by  the  fires  of  hell,  they  think  to  get  rid  of  me ! 
Wait,  wait,  my  masters,  and  you  shall  see  what  you 
have  done. "  He  threw  his  right  arm  up,  and  clenched 
his  fist  with  a  most  dramatic  gesture.  "  It  was  surely 
their  evil  genius  sent  you  my  way  just  now.  Do  you 
know  how  near  death  you  are  at  this  moment? "  he 
asked;  "or  you  would  be,  if  I  had  taken  up  their 
cursed  work." 

"  I  shall  know  a  great  deal  better  if  you  will  speak 
clearly,"  I  replied,  not  letting  him  see  how  his  question 
surprised  me. 

"  I  will.  I  don't  know  whether  you  wish  me  to  re- 
gard you  as  a  Prince  or  play-actor ;  but,  whichever  it 
is,  you  saved  my  life  to-night,  and  if  I  turn  against 
you  may  I  go  to  hell  straightway." 

"  You  can  please  yourself  what  you  call  me.  I  am 
the  Prince  von  Gramberg  in  fact,  whatever  I  may  have 
seemed  formerly. " 

"And  I  am  Juan  Praga,  the  Corsican.  Not  French, 
or  Italian,  or  German,  or  any  of  the  dozen  different 
damned  parts  I  have  played ;  but  Juan  Praga,  the  Cor- 
sican. I  left  Frankfort  before  you  did — about  eigh- 
teen months  ago — and  I  wandered  about  the  country 
till  my  reputation  as  a  fencer,  and  my  lack  of  it  in 
other  things,  first  set  me  up  as  a  master  in  Berlin,  and 
then  brought  these  devils  to  me.  They  approached 
me  slyly,  stealthily,  like  cats,  flattering  my  skill,  and 
saying  there  was  good  work  for  my  sword.  And  with 


Praga's  Story  97 

lies  they  brought  me  here  to  Munich.  I  knew  nothing 
except  that  there  was  money  to  be  made,  and  the  life 
of  a  man  of  pleasure  to  lead.  I  suspected  nothing; 
even  when  one  of  them  came  and  told  me  my  skill  as 
a  swordsman  had  been  called  in  question,  my  honor 
impeached,  and  myself  charged  with  being  an  im- 
postor, and  that  if  I  could  not  clear  myself  I  must  be 
off  for  a  rogue. " 

"  I  begin  to  see,"  I  exclaimed  when  he  paused. 

"  Yes,  yes,  you  will  guess  what  it  meant,"  he  replied, 
nodding  his  head  vigorously.  "  But  I  could  not  then. 
And  it  came  out  gradually  that  the  man  who  had  dared 
to  say  this  was  young  Count  Gustav  von  Gram  berg. 
I  demanded  to  meet  him  face  to  face  and  give  him  the 
lie.  Reluctantly,  as  it  seemed — by  the  nails  of  the 
Cross !  it  was  the  reluctance  of  infernal  traitors — they 
agreed  and  promised  that  we  should  meet.  Then  they 
fired  him  with  wine,  and  fed  him  with  a  lie  about  me ; 
and  when  we  met  we  were  like  two  tigers  thirsting  to 
be  at  one  another's  throats.  You  know  what  hap- 
pened!" he  exclaimed,  throwing  up  his  hand  again. 
"  We  quarrelled,  I  struck  him,  he  challenged  me ;  and 
when  we  met  I  ran  him  through  the  heart." 

"  It  was  murder  for  you  to  fight  a  man  like  that  with 
swords,"  I  cried  sternly. 

"  It  was  murder,  Prince,"  he  answered  slowly.  Then 
he  added,  with  voluble  passion,  "  Deep,  deliberate, 
cold-blooded,  damnable  murder;  but  I  was  not  the 
murderer.  Mine  was  the  hand,  but  theirs  was  the 
plot ;  and  I  never  realized  it  till  they  came  to  me  and 
told  me  that  they  had  planned  its  every  detail  and  step, 
that  I  was  in  their  power ;  and  that  if  I  dared  to  falter 
in  any  order  they  gave  me,  they  would  have  me 
charged  openly  as  a  murderer,  and  swear  to  such  a 
7 


98  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

story  as  would  have  me  on  the  scaffold  in  a  trice. 
What  could  I  do?  I  was  powerless.  I  raged  and  swore, 
and  cursed  for  an  hour;  but  they  had  me  fast  in  their 
clutches,  with  never  a  chance  of  escape.  But  they  did 
not  know  me." 

He  broke  off  and  chuckled  with  demoniacal  cunning, 
filled  himself  another  bumper  of  wine,  and  drained  the 
glass  at  a  gulp. 

"  What  did  you  do?     And  who  are  the  men?  " 

He  looked  round  at  me  with  a  leer  of  triumph,  and, 
spreading  out  his  hands  with  a  wide  sweeping  gesture, 
he  laughed  and  said : 

"  I  spread  a  net,  wide  and  fine  and  strong,  and  when 
all  was  right  I  baited  it  for  a  coward — a  thin-blooded, 
hellish  coward — and  I  caught  him.  You  know  him 
well  enough ;  and  if  you  saved  my  life  just  now,  I  can 
save  yours  in  return.  I  snared  him  here  to  these 
rooms  with  a  lie  that  I  was  ill  and  dying  and  wanted 
to  make  my  peace  with  Heaven  and  confess ;  and  he 
came  running  here  in  white-livered  fear  of  what  I 
should  tell.  That  was  ten  days  ago ;  and  in  the  mean 
time,  for  weeks  and  months  I  had  been  probing  and 
digging,  and  spying  and  discovering,  till  I  had  such 
knowledge  of  their  doings  as  made  a  tale  worth  one's 
telling  to  any  inquisitive  old  fool  of  a  priest — and  I  let 
my  lord  the  count  have  an  inkling  of  this." 

He  leant  back,  laughed,  and  swore  with  glee. 

"He  came.  I  was  in  bed  all  white  and  shaking," 
and  he  illustrated  the  words  with  many  gestures ;  "  and 
my  voice  was  feeble  and  quavering,  like  a  dying  pan- 
taloon's, as  I  gurgled  out  what  I  meant,  and  said,  'I 
have  written  everything  in  a  paper. '  You  should  have 
seen  his  eyes  glint  at  this.  He  urged  me  to  be  care- 
ful, not  to  speak  too  freely ;  and  he  asked  to  see  the 


Praga's  Story  99 

paper.  I  told  him  it  was  in  a  desk,  and  when  he  went 
to  get  it  and  his  back  was  to  me  I  was  out  of  bed  and 
upon  him  in  a  trice.  I  thrust  him  back  into  a  chair 
and  stood  over  him  with  my  drawn  sword,  vowing  by 
all  the  calendar  that  I  would  drive  it  into  his  bowels  if 
he  dared  to  so  much  as  utter  a  squeak;  and,  by  the 
Holy  Ghost!  I  meant  it  too." 

"Well?"  I  cried  impatiently  when  he  paused. 

"  Ho,  but  your  white-livered,  pigeon-hearted,  sheep- 
ish coward  is  a  pretty  sight  when  his  flesh  goes  gray, 
and  his  haggard  eyes,  drawn  with  fear,  stare  up  at  you 
from  under  a  brow  all  necked  with  fright-sweat.  I 
wish  you  could  have  seen  him.  Well,  I  held  him  thus, 
told  him  all  I  knew,  and  made  him  write  out  a  confession 
of  the  true  means  by  which  the  young  count  had  been 
lured  to  his  death,  the  object  of  it  all,  and  the  story  of 
the  double  plot  this  treacherous  villain  is  carrying  on. 
I  had  found  out  much,  guessed  more,  and  made  him 
fill  in  what  I  didn't  know.  More  than  that,  too,  I  made 
him  promise  me  certain  definite  rewards  when  the  plot 
succeeded,  and  to  take  me  in  with  the  rest  as  one  of 
them — to  work  with  them  now  and  share  with  them 
afterward." 

"  You  are  one  of  them?  "  I  cried. 

"  You  saw  the  answer  to  that  to-night  by  the  old 
church.  They  played  the  game  shrewdly  enough. 
When  I  had  let  him  go,  one  or  two  of  the  others  came 
to  me  and  wished  me  to  attend  a  meeting.  I  prom- 
ised ;  but  I  am  not  a  lunatic,  if  their  fool  of  a  King  is. 
No,  no;  I  would  not.  Then  they  changed  and  said 
there  was  another  quarrel  to  be  picked  with  you,  my 
friend ;  to  send  you  to  call  on  the  young  Count  Gustav. 
But  I  said  no;  that  you  were  a  great  swordsman,  bet- 
ter than  myself,  which  was  a  lie  of  course — but  lies  are 


ioo  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

everywhere  in  this  Munich — and  that  I  would  not  meet 
you.  So  they  will  find  some  other  end  for  you.  Then 
the  next  little  friendly  attention  for  me  was  the  inter- 
view which  you  interrupted  to-night." 

The  effect  of  this  recital  upon  me,  so  quaintly  and 
so  dramatically  told,  maybe  conceived;  and  I  sat  turn- 
ing it  over  and  over  and  judging  it  by  the  light  of  what 
I  myself  already  knew. 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do  now?"  I  asked  at 
length. 

"  Sell  what  I  know  to  the  best  purchaser — unless 
you  can  do  what  you  said,  help  me  to  my  revenge.  I 
know  you  are  in  this ;  though  you  little  guess  the  part 
they  have  cast  for  you." 

"What's  your  price?  I  can  take  care  of  myself,"  I 
answered. 

"  Revenge  is  my  chief  point.  I  am  a  Corsican ;  and, 
by  the  Holy  Tomb!  I'll  never  stay  my  hand  till  I've 
dragged  the  chief  villain  down." 

"  You  mean? "  I  asked. 

"That  snake  von  Nauheim  —  the  Count  von  Nau- 
heim.  The  Honorable  Count,  a  member  of  the  aris- 
tocracy. A  lily-livered  maggot. " 

He  changed  from  irony  to  vehement,  ungovernable 
rage  with  swift,  tempestuous  suddenness. 

*  To  whom  will  you  sell  your  secret?  The  Osten- 
burgs? " 

At  the  mention  of  the  name  he  turned  and  looked  at 
me  intently,  the  light  of  the  lamp  throwing  up  the 
strong  shadows  of  the  face ;  and  he  stood  staring  thus 
for  a  full  minute.  Then  he  laughed. 

"  So  you  haven't  guessed  the  riddle  yet,  eh?  You're 
a  deal  simpler  than  I  thought."  He  came  close  to  me, 
sat  down,  and  put  his  face  right  into  mine,  turning  his 


Praga's  Story  101 

head  on  one.  side  and  closing  one  eye  with  a  gesture 
of  indescribable  suggestion.  "  Have  you  never  asked 
yourself  how  it  was  that  with  all  these  people  so  dead 
set  on  putting  a  Gramberg  on  the  throne  they  should 
take  the  trouble  to  get  the  heir  of  that  renowned  fam- 
ily killed?  " 

"  Yes,  it  was  because  the  Ostenburg  agents  got  wind 
of  the  plot." 

"Pouf!" 

He  laughed  in  my  face  and  threw  his  hand  up,  and 
then  rose  and  filled  himself  another  glass  of  wine,  toss- 
ing it  off  like  the  rest. 

"  You  can  play  a  good  game,  no  doubt,  Prince,  but 
you  don't  know  the  cards  you  hold.  If  your  young 
relative  was  killed  by  the  Ostenburgs,  what  the  devil's 
hoofs  was  von  Nauheim  doing  in  that  boat?  And  what 
the  devil's  tail  does  he  want  to  set  me  on  to  you  for? 
Does  he  think  the  Gramberg  chances  are  to  be  im- 
proved by  first  killing  off  the  heir  and  then  getting 
rid  of  you,  the  girl's  chief  protection?  I  know  all 
about  Minna  von  Gramberg,  and  the  plot  to  put  her 
on  the  throne.  I  know  this,  too,  that  she  has  no  more 
chance  of  sitting  on  that  throne  than  I  have  of  eating 
it.  Body  of  Bacchus,  man,  these  are  foul  fiends  you 
are  leagued  with  and  want  knowing." 

I  began  to  see  everything  now,  and  my  pulses  quick- 
ened up  with  excitement;  and  I  guessed  what  was 
coming. 

"  What  is  your  aim  in  all  this?  "  he  asked  suddenly. 

"  I  have  come  to  Munich  to  see  exactly  how  matters 
stand." 

"  And  nicely  they've  fooled  you,  maybe — or  at  least 
they  might  have  done  so  if  you  hadn't  been  lucky 
enough  to  be  within  sound  of  my  shout  to-night.  I'll 


102  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

give  you  the  key  to  the  whole  thing.  There's  a  plot 
within  a  plot,  and  all  the  Grambergs  are  being  fooled. 
This  type  of  innocence,  von  Nauheim,  is  the  tool  of 
the  Ostenburg  interest.  The  indignation  against  the 
King  is  all  genuine  enough ;  the  people  would  welcome 
his  abdication  to-morrow,  and  wouldn't  seriously  con- 
cern themselves  even  if  the  abdication  came  by  way  of 
a  dagger-thrust  or  a  pistol  bullet.  But  the  Ostenburg 
faction  dare  not  force  the  abdication  for  two  reasons : 
because,  in  the  first  place,  the  people  on  your  side  are 
strong  enough  to  make  a  fight  of  it ;  and,  in  the  second, 
if  a  fight  did  come,  no  one  can  say  what  line  the  people 
at  Berlin  would  take.  It  is  quite  possible  that  they 
would  swoop  down  and  clear  both  sides  out.  What 
these  precious  Ostenburgs  have  to  do,  therefore,  is  to 
get  the  Crown  without  a  suspicion  of  treachery. " 

He  broke  off  with  another  of  his  sardonic  laughs, 
and  took  more  wine. 

I  did  not  interrupt,  and  a  moment  later  he  con- 
tinued : 

"  Then  came  your  old  Prince  as  a  stalking-horse.  He 
wanted  to  make  a  grab  for  the  throne,  fostered  the  dis- 
content and  rebellion,  put  his  son  forward,  and  sounded 
the  people  here  as  to  his  chances.  The  Ostenburgs 
knew  of  it  directly,  of  course,  and  laid  a  clever,  dev- 
ilish plot  to  profit  by  it.  A  large  number  of  the 
wealthiest  and  most  influential  supporters  appeared 
to  favor  your  Gustav;  they  warmed,  made  indirect 
overtures,  and  then  went  over  in  a  body,  making  it 
a  condition  that  the  man  they  put  forward  as  one  of 
their  leaders,  von  Nauheim,  should  marry  your  old 
Prince's  daughter.  By  the  bag  of  Iscariot,  a  shrewd 
stroke!  The  Prince  saw  nothing,  and  agreed,  and 
that's  the  reason  of  that  love-match." 


Praga's  Story  103 

"A  damnable  scheme!"  I  exclaimed,  between  my 
teeth. 

"Wait,  wait,"  he  said  calmly,  laying  a  hand  on  my 
arm.  "  Your  Gustav  was  in  the  way,  and  it  is  a  canon 
of  the  Ostenburg  code  that  there  shall  be  no  Gramberg 
claimant  to  the  throne  alive,  or,  at  any  rate,  fit  to  claim 
it.  So  the  quarrel  and  the  duel  were  engineered,  and 
there  remained  only  the  Countess  Minna.  Then  they 
had  a  stroke  of  luck.  The  old  Prince  died,  and  the  girl 
alone  remained,  helpless  and  friendless,  except  for  you. 
Your  turn  will  therefore  come,  and  then  this  is  the 
plan:  The  plot  to  place  the  Countess  Minna  on  the 
throne  will  go  forward  gayly,  is  going  forward  now, 
in  point  of  fact.  But — and  mark  this  carefully — at 
the  critical  moment  your  Countess  Minna  will  have 
vanished,  and  then  see  the  position.  The  mad  King 
will  be  gone,  the  throne  will  be  vacant,  the  cry  of  the 
conspirators  and  of  Munich  will  be  for  the  new  Queen, 
and  there  will  be  no  Queen  to  answer.  What  next? 
Why,  that  the  thoughts  of  all  men  will  turn  to  the 
Ostenburgs — the  loyal,  faithful,  true,  innocent,  do- 
nothing  Ostenburgs — and  the  Duke  Marx,  their  heir, 
will  consent,  when  the  matter  is  forced  upon  him  by 
the  united  populace,  to  mount  the  throne.  No  taint 
of  suspicion  against  him,  no  thought  of  treachery,  ac- 
tually an  opponent  of  the  movement  against  this  mad 
royalty,  a  stanch  upholder  of  the  right  divine  of 
monarchs — he  will  be  hailed  by  all  as  the  only  pos- 
sible successor  to  a  King  who  cannot  be  found,  and 
Berlin  will  rejoice  to  see  an  ugly  trouble  got  over  in 
this  easy  fashion.  Now!"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  grin 
full  of  meaning,  "  you  can  see  much  where  before  you 
could  see  nothing  at  all." 

"  And  what  of  the  Countess  Minna?  " 


104  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

He  paused,  and  then  answered  in  a  low,  guttural 
voice,  and  with  a  look  of  deep,  suggestive  meaning: 

"  Von  Nauheim  will  see  to  that.  There  is  something 
in  regard  to  him  I  do  not  know ;  but  I  do  know  that, 
married  to  him,  she  would  be  impossible  for  a  Queen, 
for  he  is  of  the  scum  of  the  gutter,  and  there  is  worse 
behind,  I  believe.  But  von  Nauheim  is  no  stickler 
for  ceremonies.  He  may  not  marry  her  at  all ;  and, 
ruined  by  him,  you  may  guess  what  her  chances  of 
the  throne  would  be." 

" Hell!  "  I  cried,  leaping  to  my  feet  in  fury. 

He  had  got  inside  my  impassiveness  now,  and  I  was 
like  a  madman  at  the  thoughts  he  had  raised. 

"  I  must  see  you  to-morrow.  Ride  ten  miles  out  on 
the  Linden  road,  and  wait  for  me  at  noon.  I  shall  go 
mad  if  I  stay  here  longer." 

And  with  that  I  rushed  awav. 


CHAPTER  IX 

MY    PLAN    OF    CAMPAIGN 

THE  first  effect  upon  me  of  Praga's  story  was  to 
rouse  and  thrill  every  pulse  of  passion  in  my  nature. 
I  could  not  think  connectedly,  and  as  I  plunged  along 
through  the  early  morning  to  von  Nauheim's  house 
I  was  impelled  by  an  overwhelming  desire  to  call 
that  villain  instantly  to  account.  Insane  plans  flitted 
through  my  head  of  dashing  into  his  room  and  making 
him  fight  me  to  the  death ;  and  I  gloated  in  the  belief 
that  I  could  kill  him. 

But  as  the  air  cooled  my  fever  my  steps  slackened 
their  speed,  my  judgment  began  to  reassert  its  rule, 
and  I  saw  that  I  should  make  a  huge  mistake  if  I  al- 
lowed myself  to  be  led  in  such  a  crisis  by  the  mere 
impulses  of  blind  rage.  I  had  another  to  think  of  be- 
side myself.  He  was  waiting  up  for  me,  no  doubt 
curious  and  anxious  to  learn  what  I  had  been  doing ; 
but  I  dared  not  trust  myself  to  be  with  him  then ;  so  1 
sent  a  message  that  I  was  unwell,  and  I  hurried  at  once 
to  my  rooms. 

Then  I  made  the  first  practical  admission  that  I  felt 
myself  in  peril ;  for  I  searched  the  rooms  carefully  to 
see  that  no  one  was  concealed  in  them,  and  I  looked 
carefully  to  the  fastenings  of  the  doors  to  make  certain 
that  no  one  could  get  in  while  I  slept.  I  resolved  also 
to  buy  rc^self  arms  on  the  following  day.  I  could  not 
sleep,  of  course.  I  lay  tossing  from  side  to  side  all 


io6  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

through  the  hours  of  the  dawn,  thinking,  puzzling, 
speculating,  and  scheming;  striving  my  hardest  to 
decide  what  I  ought  to  do. 

After  what  I  had  seen  in  the  attack  on  Praga,  I  could 
not  doubt  that  my  own  personal  danger  was  great. 
My  cousin  Gustav's  fate  had  shown  that  the  men  I  had 
to  deal  with  were  infinitely  cunning  in  resource  and 
absolutely  desperate  in  resolve.  Where,  then,  might  I 
look  for  any  attack?  I  judged  that  it  would  be  most 
likely  to  come  in  some  shape  that  would  be  difficult  to 
trace  to  its  authors;  and  I  felt  that  I  must  guard 
against  getting  embroiled  in  any  quarrel,  must  go 
armed,  and  must  be  always  most  vigilant  and  alert 
when  I  found  myself  in  circumstances  that  would  lend 
themselves  to  my  being  attacked  with  impunity. 

I  own  that  I  did  not  like  the  prospect.  I  don't  think 
I'm  a  coward,  and  claim  no  greater  bravery  than  other 
men ;  but  the  thought  that  any  moment  might  find  me 
the  mark  for  an  assassin's  dagger  or  bullet  tested  my 
courage  to  the  utmost.  My  main  problem,  however, 
was  of  course  as  to  what  I  should  do  in  regard  to  the 
plot.  There  were  undoubtedly  a  number  of  men 
pledged  to  support  Minna's  cause;  loyal,  true,  faithful 
men  of  honor,  who  had  risked  much  for  her  and  would 
uphold  her  to  the  last;  but  how  was  I  to  distinguish 
the  false  from  the  true?  If  I  could  do  that,  my  path 
would  be  plain  enough.  I  could  reveal  the  whole  busi- 
ness to  them,  and  we  could  together  take  means  to  check- 
mate the  inner  treachery.  But  I  could  not  distinguish 
them ;  nor  on  the  other  hand  could  Minna  in  honor  de- 
sert them. 

There  was  the  alternative  of  flight,  of  course;  I 
could  return  to  Gramberg  and  rush  the  girl  across 
the  French  frontier ;  but  in  addition  to  the  distaste  for 


My  Plan  of  Campaign  107 

abandoning  those  who  had  been  true  to  her,  there  were 
other  solid  reasons  against  the  flight.  I  could  not  see 
that  there  was  any  permanent  safety  for  Minna  that 
way.  As  Praga  had  put  it,  it  was  a  canon  of  the  Os- 
tenburg  position  that  there  should  be  no  Gramberg 
claimant  to  the  throne  left  alive  or  fit  to  claim  the 
throne ;  and  I  did  not  doubt  for  a  moment  that  she 
might  still  be  the  object  of  attack  wherever  she  went. 
Their  arm  would  be  long  enough  to  reach  her.  Thus 
flight  would  thwart  the  Ostenburg  scheme,  but  it  would 
not  achieve  what  was  far  more  important  to  us,  the 
safety  of  all  concerned. 

Thus  I  was  driven  back  again  upon  my  former  con- 
clusion that  the  policy  of  flight  must  be  only  the  last 
resource  when  other  things  had  failed.  And  I  made 
up  my  mind  that  if  at  all  possible  this  Ostenburg 
scheme  must  be  met  and  outwitted. 

After  many  hours  of  thought  on  these  lines,  I  began 
to  see  two  courses.  We  must  go  on  with  the  scheme 
up  to  the  very  verge  of  its  completion.  Then  Minna 
should  indeed  disappear ;  but  the  disappearance  should 
be  stage-managed  by  us,  and  not  by  the  Ostenburg 
agents;  and  a  daring  thought  occurred  to  me,  to  en- 
trap these  men  with  their  own  snare  when  pledged 
to  the  hilt  to  support  Minna. 

I  would  not  only  let  her  reappear  at  the  very  mo- 
ment when  they  would  be  reckoning  on  her  absence 
to  push  the  claims  of  their  own  man,  the  Duke  Marx ; 
but  I  would  get  hold  of  this  duke  himself  and  put  him 
away  in  her  place.  We  would  thus  hold  the  throne 
against  them  for  long  enough  to  make  such  terms  of 
compromise  as  we  chose  to  dictate. 

It  would  be  a  dare-devil  piece  of  work,  and  call  for 
one  or  two  desperate  men.  But  I  had  two  already  to 


io8  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

hand— von  Krugen  and  Praga,  with  Steinitz  as  a  faith- 
ful third — and  we  might  find  one  or  two  more  among 
those  who  were  faithful  to  Minna's  interests. 

The  thought  of  this  so  roused  me  that  I  could  not 
stay  in  my  bed,  but  paced  up  and  down  my  room  in  a 
glow  of  excitement  as  I  thought  out,  pondered,  and 
planned  the  details  move  by  move  to  the  final  climax. 

My  first  step  must  be,  of  course,  to  mislead  all  those 
concerned  in  the  scheme  to  believe  that  I  was  with 
them,  and  that  I  pledged  Minna  herself  to  the  same 
course ;  and  I  went  to  meet  von  Nauheim  in  the  morn- 
ing with  this  idea  clear  in  my  thoughts. 

"  You  were  out  of  town  yesterday,  Prince?  "  he  said. 

"Yes,  I  am  accustomed  to  quietude,  and  can  clear 
my  thoughts  best  in  the  country.  This  affair  wor- 
ries me. " 

"  I  understood  you  were  ill  when  you  came  back?  " 

"  Merely  an  excuse.  I  was  fatigued,  and  in  no  mood 
for  conversation.  It  was  late." 

"  It  was — very, "  he  replied  dryly. 

I  made  no  answer,  and  after  a  moment  he  said : 

"  I  presume  you  were  thinking  about  our  matters?  " 

"  They  were  not  out  of  my  thoughts  all  day,  and  have 
kept  me  awake  all  night.  I  could  wish  I  had  never 
heard  of  them !  "  I  exclaimed  sharply. 

"  I  suppose  it  is  rather  a  big  thing  for  you  to  de- 
cide?" he  said,  with  a  laugh;  and  then  added  quickly, 
"I  presume  you  have  decided,  though?  We  shall  ex- 
pect to  know  to-night  definitely." 

"  I  am  disposed  to  advise  my  cousin  to  join  you  and 
go  on ;  but  it  may  be  nervousness,  or  that  I  am  unused 
to  such  weighty  affairs — whatever  it  is,  I  scarcely  know 
how  to  answer." 

"  Well,  you  have  had  five  or  six  days,  you  know." 


My   Plan  of  Campaign  109 

"I've  had  to  change  all  my  views.  I  came  to  Mu- 
nich with  the  conviction  that  such  a  scheme  must  fail, 
and  could  only  end  in  disaster  or,  perhaps,  worse." 

"And  now?  "  he  asked,  eyeing-  me  sharply. 

"  I  see  the  risks  are  enormous ;  but  success  seems 
much  more  probable  than  I  thought.  Indeed,  if  all  is 
as  it  appears  to  be,  I  don't  see  where  failure  can  come. 
I  was  trying  to  see  that  all  day  yesterday." 

"  What  do  you  mean  '  if  all  is  as  it  appears  '  ?  What 
else  can  it  be?" 

"  In  a  thousand  schemes  every  one  must  have  a  weak 
spot  somewhere.  In  this  I  fear  what  Berlin  may  do." 

This  answer  relieved  the  doubt  I  had  purposely 
raised,  and  he  smiled  as  though  my  objection  were 
ridiculous. 

"  Discuss  that  with  Baron  Heckscher.  You'll  soon 
see  there's  no  cause  for  fear  in  it." 

"  If  I  were  sure  of  that,  my  last  objection  would  be 
gone." 

"Then  you  are  ours  at  last!"  he  exclaimed  trium- 
phantly, "and  I'm  right  glad  of  it,  Prince.  You'll 
never  repent  throwing  in  your  lot  with  us,  for  we  shall 
rule  this  kingdom  as  surely  as  you  and  I  are  sitting  at 
this  table." 

Gradually  I  allowed  myself  to  be  led  on  by  him  to 
copy,  in  a  modified  degree,  his  tone  of  jubilant  enthu- 
siasm, until  he  had  no  longer  a  doubt  that  I  had  been 
won  over  completely;  and  I  spoke  as  if  in  some  awe 
of  the  magnificent  mission  and  great  opportunities 
which  a  woman  of  Minna's  high  character  and  aims 
would  have  as  the  future  Queen  of  Bavaria.  He  in- 
dulged this  vein  in  the  belief  that  he  was  drawing  out 
my  earnestness  and  encouraging  my  loyalty,  and,  in- 
deed, fooling  me  to  the  top  of  my  bent. 


1 1  o  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

He  asked  me  how  I  would  spend  the  day,  and  whether 
I  wished  to  see  any  more  of  our  friends,  before  the 
meeting,  to  discuss  my  lingering  doubts  as  to  inter- 
ference from  Berlin;  but  I  said  I  would  rather  be 
alone,  as  I  was  accustomed  to  solitary  meditation,  and 
that  I  was  going  to  ride.  He  placed  his  stable  at  my 
disposal,  and  suggested  one  or  two  places  of  interest 
to  which  I  could  go. 

I  pretended  to  accept  his  suggestions,  and  he  watched 
me  ride  off,  standing  bare-headed  and  gazing  after  me. 
When  I  turned,  he  waved  his  hand,  and  his  face  wore 
a  smile  of  confident  self-congratulation  at  the  clever- 
ness with  which  he  had  duped  me.  I  kept  to  the  road 
which  he  had  mentioned  for  a  short  distance,  riding  at 
a  slow  pace,  and  then,  turning  off  from  it,  I  threaded 
the  outskirts  of  the  town  until  I  struck  the  Linden 
road,  when  I  put  my  horse  to  a  sharp  canter  to  keep 
my  appointment. 

One  point  I  had  to  consider  carefully — how  far  to 
trust  Praga.  He  was  a  man  to  beware  of,  unscrupu- 
lous, recklessly  daring,  and  bitterly  vengeful;  but  I 
had  saved  his  life,  and  I  believed  that  he  had  in  his 
disposition  that  kind  of  rough  and  dogged  chivalry 
which  would  incline  him  to  feel  under  an  obligation 
to  me,  at  least  until  he  had  paid  the  debt  in  kind. 
Assistance  of  some  sort  from  some  one  with  inside 
knowledge  I  must  have,  for  the  case  was  desperate 
enough ;  and  there  was  no  doubt  that  he  would  be 
infinitely  valuable  to  me.  I  had  strong  inducements 
to  offer,  too — revenge  for  his  own  injuries ;  gratitude 
for  my  help  on  the  preceding  night ;  momentary  re- 
ward to  any  reasonable  amount ;  and  advancement  to 
a  post  of  confidence.  There  was  a  risk  that  he  would 
betray  me,  of  course ;  but  I  could  not  weigh  these  risks 


My   Plan  of  Campaign  1 1 1 

too  carefully,  and  this  was  one  I  felt  I  must  be  content 
to  take. 

I  had  ridden  some  ten  or  eleven  miles,  and  was  walk- 
ing my  horse  slowly  past  a  small  coppice,  when  I  heard 
him  call  to  me  from  among  the  trees.  He  had  chosen 
a  cunning  hiding-place.  He  knew  his  business. 

"  Ride  on  to  the  next  turning  on  this  side,  Prince, 
and  turn  in  at  the  first  gate." 

I  followed  his  instructions,  and  found  him  already  at 
the  gate,  on  foot,'  having  tied  his  horse  to  a  tree.  I 
fastened  mine  and  then  joined  him. 

"  Were  you  followed  from  my  house  last  night?  "  he 
asked ;  and  when  I  told  him  no,  he  added :  "  Good ;  I 
had  to  shake  them  off  this  morning.  The  game  is  get- 
ting warmer.  We  must  not  stay  long  together.  What 
have  you  to  say  to  me? " 

"  Will  you  show  me  the  paper  you  made  von  Nau- 
heim  sign?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  will  take  your  word  of  honor  for  its  safe  keep- 
ing," he  returned,  his  dark  face  smiling.  "I  guessed 
you  would  wish  to  see  it."  And  he  handed  it  to  me. 

"  You  trust  it  to  me? "  I  cried,  in  some  surprise. 

"  I  am  no  fool,  Prince,"  he  answered.  "  If  you  keep 
that,  it  means  we  shall  work  together,  and  that  is  what 
I  wish.  If  we  are  not  to  do  so,  you  are  too  honorable 
a  man  not  to  return  it.  I  trust  either  wholly,  or  not 
at  all."  He  raised  his  hands,  shoulders,  and  eyebrows 
in  a  combined  gesture,  as  though  suggesting  there  was 
no  more  to  be  said  about  the  matter.  "  But  you,  what 
are  you  going  to  do?  You  have  some  plan,  of  course? " 

"Will  you  work  with  me?  "  I  asked. 

"  I  told  you  last  night — my  purse,  my  sword,  and 
my  life  are  at  your  service,  and  if  your  plan  helps  my 
revenge  I  will  keep  as  stanch  and  true  as  a  hound." 


112  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  am  going  to  put  my  whole  scheme  in  your  pos- 
session," was  my  answer;  and  in  the  fewest  words  I 
told  him  what  I  had  resolved,  keeping  back  only  such 
parts  of  the  plan  as  touched  the  Countess  Minna  and 
myself  personally. 

He  listened  with  rapt  attention,  his  swarthy  face 
drawn  into  thoughtful  lines,  and  he  did  not  interrupt 
me  once.  When  I  had  finished,  he  remained  silent  a 
long  while  thinking  it  all  over  carefully. 

"  It  is  a  shrewd  scheme,  Prince,  very  shrewd.  There 
is  only  one  difficulty." 

"Well?" 

"  For  you  and  me  to  keep  alive  sufficiently  long  to 
carry  it  through.  The  attempt  last  night  will  not  be 
the  last,  and  the  efforts  won't  be  confined  to  me.  They 
have  not  touched  you  so  far,  probably  because  they 
feel  it  will  strengthen  their  hands  with  the  Countess 
Minna  to  get  your  open  adherence  to  the  plot.  But 
when  that  has  once  been  obtained,  you  will  only  be  in 
the  way,  and  you  had  better  lay  your  account  with 
that.  But  if  we  can  keep  our  hearts  beating  and  our 
throats  unslit  until  the  time  of  crisis  comes,  we  shall  win. 
By  the  sword  of  the  archangel,  but  I  like  the  scheme!  " 

"  There  is  a  meeting  to-night  at  which  I  announce 
my  formal  adherence,  and  then  I  shall  return  to  Gram- 
berg  to  complete  my  arrangements. " 

"If  you  live  to  leave  the  town,"  he  said  grimly. 
"  But  you  understand  now  the  sort  of  men  you  are 
fighting.  And  what  do  you  wish  me  to  do? " 

"  Yours  will  be  the  most  dangerous  and,  in  some  re- 
spects, I  think  the  most  difficult  work  of  all — the  post 
of  honor.  You  must  prepare  the  means  by  which  the 
Duke  Marx  von  Ostenburg  can  be  got  into  our  power, 
and  you  must  be  prepared  to  carry  out  the  seizure  the 


My   Plan  of  Campaign  113 

moment  I  give  the  signal.  It  had  best  be  done  on  the 
very  day  of  the  court  ball. " 

To  my  surprise  he  smiled  and  declared  that  that  part 
of  the  business  would  not  be  difficult  of  accomplish- 
ment. 

"I  may  need  one  man  to  help  me,  though  I  can 
probably  do  it  all  alone ;  and  you  will  only  have  to  say 
where  you  wish  him  carried." 

"  I  have  to  find  the  place  yet,"  I  replied.  "  But  how 
can  )'ou  do  this?  Why  are  you  so  sure? " 

"  I  can  move  the  female  lever  which  can  move  him," 
he  returned,  with  his  hard  smile. 

"  But  at  that  moment  he  himself  will  be  all  anxiety 
for  these  matters  of  State,  and  his  presence  in  Munich 
will  be  simply  imperative  for  their  interests." 

"  No  matter.  If  he  was  buried  under  a  mountain 
and  had  to  claw  his  way  out  with  his  nails  and  teeth, 
he  would  do  it  at  her  bidding.  Have  no  fear." 

"  He  will  not  be  harmed? " 

"  That  we  can  settle  when  we  get  him,"  he  answered 
grimly. 

I  said  no  more.  So  long  as  we  could  make  secure 
the  person  of  the  duke  at  the  moment  we  needed  him, 
I  would  see  to  the  rest.  Then  I  arranged  how  we  two 
were  to  hold  communication  and  untethered  my  horse 
to  leave. 

"You  will  go  to  that  meeting  to-night;  Prince?"  he 
asked. 

"  Certainly,  it  is  necessary. " 

"  You  will  go  armed,  then? " 

"  Arms  will  not  be  of  much  use ;  but  I  shall  take 
them." 

"  I  need  not  warn  you  again.  But  this  I  would  say : 
At  the  very  moment  when  you  feel  safest  expect  their 
8 


H4  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

attack.  And  now,  as  a  last  word,  let  me  give  you  a 
pledge  that  whatever  happens  I  will  not  let  a  word 
between  my  teeth.  On  the  honor  of  a  Corsican." 

He  raised  his  hat  and  stood  bare-headed.  He  had 
the  dramatic  instinct  keenly  developed,  and  he  did 
everything  with  pose  and  gesture  that  might  have  been 
taken  for  artificiality.  But  I  was  convinced  that  he 
was  stanch  enough  in  this  affair. 

I  rode  back  to  Munich  by  a  different  route,  and  my 
thoughts  were  busy  with  the  forthcoming  meeting.  I 
did  not  consider  it  at  all  likely  that  any  sort  of  violence 
would  be  attempted  then ;  but  Praga's  words  of  cau- 
tion began  to  run  in  my  head — "  When  you  feel  safest, 
expect  the  attack."  All  the  afternoon  they  were  buzz- 
ing in  my  thoughts,  and  when  von  Nauheim  returned 
in  time  for  a  very  hurried  late  dinner,  and  the  hour  of 
the  meeting  drew  nigh,  they  were  more  insistent  than 
ever. 

In  the  afternoon  I  bought  myself  arms — a  sword- 
stick  and  a  revolver ;  and  while  I  was  alone  I  took  care- 
ful note  of  the  room  where  the  meeting  was  to  be  held, 
its  entrances  and  exits.  There  was  a  window  in  the 
corner  which  opened  on  to  a  quadrangle  at  the  back  of 
the  house,  and  I  resolved  to  take  my  seat  near  that, 
lest  I  should  need  a  speedy  way  of  escape. 

I  had,  indeed,  determined  upon  one  somewhat  dar- 
ing step,  and  I  could  not  foretell  what  consequences 
might  ensue. 

When  the  hour  for  the  meeting  came,  I  took  my  seat 
and  watched  the  men  as  they  entered ;  and  sat  steady- 
ing my  nerves  and  planning  my  moves  in  the  game 
which  was  about  to  open  in  such  deadly  earnest,  and 
which  might  have  such  momentous  consequences  for 
all  concerned. 


CHAPTER  X 

A    COUNCIL    OF    CONSPIRACY 

MY  first  thought  about  the  meeting  was  that  I  had 
misjudged,  in  an  almost  ludicrous  manner,  what  the 
proceedings  would  be.  My  nerves  were,  no  doubt,  a 
little  overstrung  by  the  events  of  the  past  day  or  two : 
the  dramatic  exaggeration  which  had  characterized  al- 
most every  gesture  and  action  of  the  Corsican,  the 
actual  evidence  of  my  own  eyes  of  the  ruthless  inten- 
sity of  purpose  with  which  these  people  pursued  their 
plans,  and  my  own  exceeding  conventional  concep- 
tions of  what  such  a  plot  as  this  would  be,  had  led  me 
to  anticipate  some  sort  of  more  or  less  theatrical  exhi- 
bition of  conspiracy  at  the  meeting.  But  there  was 
nothing  of  the  kind. 

The  men  dropped  in  one  after  another,  just  as  they 
might  into  any  small  social  gathering,  chatted  with 
each  other,  grouped  themselves  in  twos  and  threes, 
joked  and  laughed,  discussed  the  latest  scandal,  ex- 
changed notes  on  the  newest  play,  and  for  a  long  time 
talked  of  nothing  but  the  subjects  on  which  any  of 
them  found  a  common  surface  interest.  All  of  them 
made  occasion  to  come  to  me  and  exchange  a  word  or 
two:  Hoxv  I  liked  Munich,  whether  I  had  been  to  the* 
opera,  if  I  took  any  interest  in  the  races,  had  I  heard 
of  the  new  military  order  from  Berlin,  and  so  on. 
Nothing  more.  Yet  each  contrived  to  convey  that  he 


1 1 6  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

was  very  glad  to  see  me  present,  leaving  me  to  infer 
anything  more. 

After  a  considerable  time,  the  man  whom  von  Nau- 
heim  had  mentioned  to  me  most  often,  Baron  Heck- 
scher,  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in  Munich,  and  the 
strongest  leader  in  the  scheme,  came  across  and  began 
to  talk  to  me.  He  said  he  took  the  greatest  interest 
in  me ;  that  it  was  a  matter  of  great  regret  I  had  been 
so  long  absent  from  Munich  and  Gramberg;  and  that 
the  honor  of  the  great  title  I  bore  was  an  enormous 
responsibility  for  so  young  a  man. 

"  But  I  am  sure  you  will  prove  equal  to  it,  Prince. 
Our  conversations  during  these  last  few  days  have  con- 
vinced me  of  this.  You  will  play  a  great  part  in  the 
kingdom  and — who  shall  say? — perhaps  in  the  Empire. " 

I  murmured  some  conventional  reply,  and  he  added : 

"There  is  only  one  thing  against  you.  You  will 
need  wealth.  The  Gramberg  estates  should  have  gone 
with  the  title.  I  cannot  understand  my  old  friend's 
will.  But  that  can  be,  and,  of  course,  will  be,  recti- 
fied." 

"I  am  not  very  ambitious  of  a  State  career,"  I  re- 
plied, appreciating  the  proffered  bribe. 

"The  State  has  need  of  all  her  strong  men,  Prince," 
he  answered  readily,  "  and  she  would,  be  jealous  of  de- 
sertion ;  she  cannot  spare  you.  We  old  men  have  had 
our  day,  and  it  is  part  of  our  duty,  and,  despite  the 
jealousies  of  some  of  us,  part  of  our  pleasure  too,  to 
mark  out  the  rising  men — the  men  worthy  to  rise,  that 
is — and  see  that  they  have  their  opportunities.  In  the 
time  that  is  coming  you  will  have  a  magnificent  part, 
for  the  actualities  of  power  are  not  on,  but  around,  the 
throne. " 

In  this  way  he  led  adroitly  round  to  the  subject,  and 


A  Council  of  Conspiracy  117 

I  knew  that  all  his  flattery  was  just  so  much  verbiage. 
He  had  had  no  opportunities  of  telling  whether  I  was 
a  fool  or  a  genius. 

"There  is  a  great  deal  of  doubt  about  the  future," 
said  I  sententiously ;  "  but  to  have  earned  the  good  opin 
ion  of  so  shrewd  a  judge  of  men  as  yourself  is  much." 

If  he  could  flatter,  so  could  I. 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  then,  in  a  slightly  lower 
tone,  and  with  a  suggestion  of  increased  importance, 
he  said,  motioning"  toward  von  Nauheim : 

"  Our  friend  has  told  me  your  very  shrewd  doubts  as 
to  the  probable  action  of  those  at  Berlin.  They  are 
very  natural,  and  you  are  quite  right  to  express  them ; 
but — there  is  no  fear  on  that  score.  The  Imperial 
Government  is  as  sick  of  the  vagaries  of  the  King  as 
we  Bavarians  ourselves.  He  is  a  constant  anxiety. 
You  will  see  why.  A  madman  on  a  throne  is  a  stand- 
ing menace  to  the  principle  of  the  Divine  Right  on 
which  a  monarchy  must  in  reality  depend.  They  will 
not  interfere,  because  openly  they  dare  not  counte- 
nance a  movement  to  upset  a  throne. " 

And  he  went  on  to  give  me  elaborate  arguments  to 
explain  away  my  doubts.  I  listened  very  carefully, 
stated  my  objections,  and  discussed  them  all;  and  then 
allowed  myself  to  appear  to  be  won  round  by  his  per- 
suasion to  the  view  that  when  once  the  plot  were  car- 
ried to  a  successful  climax  Berlin  would  recognize  the 
new  position  and  acquiesce  in  it.  This  I  believed  my- 
self, moreover. 

As  I  held  the  clew  to  his  real  motives,  I  was  greatly 
interested  to  note  the  subtlety  with  which  he  avoided 
the  points  that  were  more  closely  concerned  with  the 
duplicity  of  the  inner  plot,  and  dwelt  on  those  where 
he  could  be  sincere. 


1 1 8  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  It  will  depend  greatly  on  the  solidarity  of  the 
movement  and  the  loyalty  to  each  other  of  all  con- 
cerned in  it,"  I  said  at  the  close. 

"  That  is  the  pith  and  marrow  of  it  all ;  and  of  that 
there  cannot  be  a  doubt.  There  are  some  twenty  of 
us  here,"  he  exclaimed,  with  a  wave  of  the  hand  round 
the  room ;  "  and  each  of  us  represents  and  can  speak 
for  at  least  one  strong  interest  and  section.  Besides, 
we  are  not  groping  in  the  dark.  I  myself  have  secured 
assurances  from  Berlin.  We  have  not  a  weak  link." 

He  stopped,  and  looked  at  me  with  an  invitation  to 
make  my  declaration. 

I  noticed,  too,  that  in  some  way  the  fact  had  commu- 
nicated itself  to  the  rest  of  those  present  that  the  mo- 
ment of  importance  had  arrived.  They  had  at  first 
drawn  a  little  away  from  the  table  at  which  we  two 
sat ;  and  I  had  seen  many  little  quick  glances  shot  in 
our  direction  during  the  discussion  between  the  baron 
and  myself;  but  there  had  been  no  check  in  the  gen- 
eral flow  of  chatter. 

Now,  however,  there  was  a  decided  lull,  save  where 
one  man  was  telling  noisily  an  incident  in  which  he 
had  been  the  principal  and  was  laughing  at  his  own 
joke.  The  rest  were  for  the  most  part  smoking  stol- 
idly with  only  low  murmurs  of  broken  talk. 

Von  Nauheim  was  restless  and  fidgety,  champing 
his  cigar  with  quick,  nervous  bites,  and  blowing  out 
the  smoke  rapidly  in  heavy  puffs,  and  stealing  furtive 
glances  at  me. 

The  situation  was  just  as  I  would  have  had  it.  I 
had  effectually  concealed  the  fact  that  I  had  entered 
the  room  resolved  to  join  them,  and  had  produced  the 
impression  that  at  the  last  moment  the  baron's  argu- 
ments had  talked  away  my  doubts.  I  kept  my  face 


A  Council  of  Conspiracy  119 

impassive  and  set,  as  though  weighing  my  words  to 
the  last  moment. 

"We  shall  go  on  with  you,  baron,"  I  said  quietly; 
"  but  of  course  under  conditions." 

"  How  can  you  make  conditions,  Prince?  "  he  asked; 
and  now  the  whole  room  was  waiting  upon  our  words. 

"There  must  be  a  fresh  declaration  of  allegiance  to 
the  Countess  Minna  as  the  future  Queen." 

"We  are  already  pledged,  every  man  of  us,  Prince," 
he  returned. 

"  My  uncle's  death  has  altered  matters,"  I  answered. 
"  And  the  declaration  will  be  signed  by  all  concerned 
here  to-night  and  in  my  presence." 

"  That  is  scarcely  necessary,  as  we  have  signed  al- 
ready. But  if  you  make  a  point  of  it,  yes." 

"  I  do  press  it,"  I  said  firmly. 

I  had  a  strong  reason  which  they  did  not  yet  see.  I 
paused  a  moment  before  I  made  my  next  move,  for  it 
was  a  strong  one. 

"  Again,  as  my  uncle's  death  is  so  recent,  it  will  not 
be  seemly — indeed,  it  is  impossible — for  my  cousin's 
marriage  with  the  Count  von  Nauheim  to  take  place 
until  after  she  is  on  the  throne — unless,  indeed,  all 
matters  are  postponed  until  a  sufficient  interval  takes 
place." 

I  counted  much  on  this  stroke,  and  that  it  was  a 
shrewd  one  was  instantly  apparent.  It  was,  indeed, 
nothing  less  than  a  sharp  test  of  the  loyalty  of  every 
man  present,  and  it  started  warm  discussion  among 
them  all,  several  protests  being  made. 

The  avowed  object  of  the  marriage  was  to  cement 
the  co-operation  of  the  powerful  section  of  which 
Baron  Heckscher  was  the  head,  by  securing  half  the 
royal  power  to  their  representative;  but  the  secret 


120  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

motive,  as  I  knew,  was  to  render  Minna  personally 
unfit  to  be  Queen.  Thus  to  postpone  the  marriage 
until  after  she  was  actually  on  the  throne  seemed  on 
the  surface  to  destroy  the  very  pith  of  the  inner  plot, 
and  so  to  wreck  the  Ostenburg  plans  altogether. 
Hence  those  who  were  for  that  interest  felt  bound  to 
oppose  the  suggestion,  while  those  who  were  genu- 
inely for  us  would  admit  its  reasonableness.  To  the 
one  side  it  meant  failure,  and  to  the  other,  at  the 
worst,  mere  postponement ;  and  my  object  was  thus  to 
detach  the  latter  and  see  who  were  really  our  friends. 
To  my  dismay  there  were  but  two  in  the  room,  and 
these  the  least  influential ;  but  I  marked  them  closely 
while  I  stuck  doggedly  to  my  point. 

It  was  the  Baron  Heckscher  who  came  to  the  rescue. 

"  I  have  been  waiting  to  hear  the  general  opinion," 
he  said — he  had  been  sitting  rapt  in  deep  thought — 
"  and  I  do  not  see  there  is  any  solid  objection  to  the 
condition.  We  are  all  aware  that  this  marriage,  like 
most  Court  nuptials,  has  been  arranged  for  certain 
definite  purposes" — and  he  glanced  round  the  room 
with  an  effect  I  did  not  fail  to  observe.  "And  if 
proper  guarantees  of  these  purposes  are  afforded,  I 
do  not  see  any  objection.  We  are  merely  gaining  the 
same  end  by  slightly  different  means.  As  Count  von 
Nauheim  carries  certain  interests  on  his  shoulders  in 
the  marriage,  all  we  have  to  see  is  that  those  interests 
are  protected. " 

It  was  most  adroitly  wrapped  up,  but  I  knew  too 
much  to  be  deceived ;  and  as  I  had  now  gained  my  end 
— the  separation  of  the  sheep  from  the  wolves  in  this 
assorted  pack — I  said  no  more  than  to  agree  that  any 
desired  guarantees  should  be  given. 

"  The  other  condition  is  perhaps  fanciful,  as  it  is  cer- 


A  Council  of  Conspiracy  121 

tainly  personal,"  I  said,  "and  it  is  somewhat  connected 
with  that  which  we  have  just  discussed.  My  cousin, 
the  Countess  Minna,  cannot,  of  course,  go  forward  in 
a  hazardous  work  of  this  kind,  now  we  are  agreed  the 
marriage  must  be  postponed,  without  a  male  relative 
to  guide  and  counsel  her.  And  as  we  Grambergs  have 
been  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose  two  prominent  members, 
there  is  only  myself  remaining.  One  of  us,  my  cousin 
Gustav,  certainly  lost  his  life  in  this  cause,  through  the 
treachery  of  the  Ostenburg  agents,  and  therefore  we 
look  to  you  all — I  look  to  you  all,  gentlemen" — and 
here  I  raised  my  voice  slightly — "  to  secure  me  against 
an  attack  from  any  source  that  may  threaten  my  life. 
I  know  I  do  not  count  on  you  in  vain,  because  you  are 
all  loyal  to  the  cause ;  but  there  is  an  additional  and 
very  special  reason  for  my  thus  calling  on  you.  Upon 
my  life  and  safety  the  continuance  or  end  of  this  scheme 
depends,  so  far  as  my  cousin  Minna  is  concerned.  You 
may  need  to  redouble  your  vigilance  against  our  ene- 
mies, and  to  strain  your  efforts  to  the  utmost  to  antici- 
pate and  prevent  attacks  upon  me;  but  understand 
quite  clearly  that  if  you  suffer  me  to  be  attacked  and 
to  fall,  at  that  moment  my  cousin  will  withdraw  from  the 
scheme,  and  openly  abandon  all  claim  to  the  throne." 

The  disconcerting  effect  of  this  short  speech  was 
profound. 

A  dead  silence  fell  on  the  room  for  a  few  moments, 
and  I  am  bound  to  confess  that  I  enjoyed  immensely 
the  general  consternation.  It  appeared  to  me  the 
strongest  confirmation  I  could  have  had  of  the  exist- 
ence of  a  plot  against  my  life,  and  that  this  move  of 
mine  was  regarded  as  a  checkmate.  But  I  shut  out  of 
my  face  every  expression  save  one  of  a  kind  of  friendly 
expectation  of  personal  assurances  of  agreement. 


122  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Why  I  paused  before  replying,  Prince,"  said  Baron 
Heckscher  presently,  "  was  merely  that,  while  I  am 
confident  there  is  not  a  man  in  the  room,  nor  among 
all  the  thousands  for  whom  we  can  speak,  who  would 
not  cheerfully  risk  his  life  in  defence  of  one  so  valua- 
ble— indeed,  so  essential — to  the  cause  and  the  country 
as  your  own,  it  is  a  little  difficult  for  us  to  pledge  our- 
selves to  abandon  a  cause  for  which  we  have  made 
such  sacrifices,  and  incurred  such  tremendous  personal 
risks,  should  accident  intervene  to  harm  you." 

He  was  talking  to  gain  time,  I  could  see  that  easily 
enough. 

"  There  was  no  one  found  ready  to  defend  my  cousin 
Gustav  from  a  man  who  was  no  better  than  an  assas- 
sin," I  said,  somewhat  curtly.  "  And  I  have  heard  that 
the  man  is  still  mixing  with  some  of  you." 

Von  Nauheim's  tell-tale  face  paled  at  this  thrust. 

"Your  cousin's  rashness  was  the  cause  of  that  quar- 
rel, Prince,"  said  the  baron,  "  and  it  was  all  against  our 
advice  and  our  most  earnest  entreaty  that  the  duel  ever 
took  place.  As  to  Praga's  connection  with  the  matter 
since,  you  know,  of  course,  that  in  affairs  of  this  kind 
we  must  use  as  instruments  such  as  we  find  ready  to 
hand.  But  his  connection  with  the  movement  is  of 
the  flimsiest  and  most  superficial  kind." 

"  My  cousin's  death  remains  unavenged, "  I  answered 
sternly. 

"It  will  not  remain  so,"  said  the  baron  signifi- 
cantly. 

"No,  indeed,"  I  returned,  intentionally  misunder- 
standing him,  "  for  I  myself  will  call  the  man  to  ac- 
count. " 

"Not  until  after  our  plans  have  been  carried 
through." 


A   Council  of  Conspiracy  123 

"At  the  first  moment  I  meet  with  him,"  said  I,  with 
an  air  of  recklessness. 

"  This  must  not  be !  "  exclaimed  the  baron  quickly. 
"  Do  you  not  see  what  you  are  doing,  Prince?  You 
tell  us  that  if  you  fall  the  Countess  Minna  will  desert 
us  and  abandon  the  whole  movement  on  the  very  eve 
of  its  success ;  and  yet  in  the  next  breath  you  declare 
that  you  are  going  to  court  death  by  fighting  a  duel 
with  one  of  the  greatest  masters  of  fencing  in  Europe. 
Would  you  wreck  the  whole  scheme?" 

"  I  would  avenge  my  cousin's  death!  "  I  cried  sternly. 
"  Unless,  indeed,  the  Count  von  Nauheim,  as  a  future 
member  of  the  family,  or  some  other  gentleman  here, 
is  loyal  enough  to  us  to  take  up  this  work." 

"I  do  not  fight  with  hired  bravos,"  growled  von 
Nauheim. 

"  There  is  no  man  in  Bavaria  can  stand  before  that 
Praga's  sword,"  said  the  baron,  while  I  enjoyed  his 
perplexity. 

"Well,  then,  call  the  man  out  and  shoot  him!"  I 
exclaimed  brutally.  "  But,  in  all  truth,  I  can't  for 
the  life  of  me  understand,  since  you  are  all  afraid 
of  his  sword-play,  why  you  allowed  Gustav  to  meet 
him." 

"  We  had  not  then  had  this  fearful  evidence  of  his 
skill ;  and  your  cousin  denied  it,  and  believed  him  an 
impostor,"  said  the  baron. 

"Nor  do  I  believe  in  it,"  I  answered  vehemently, 
and  I  saw  that  I  had  produced  the  impression  I  wished 
of  extreme  caution  in  some  things,  coupled  with  reck- 
lessness in  others,  and  had  made  them  believe  me  thor- 
oughly in  earnest  in  my  condition  that,  if  my  life  were 
taken,  my  cousin  Minna  would  go  no  farther.  I  had 
no  wish  to  press  matters  any  more,  therefore. 


1 24  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  You  are  a  true  Gramberg,  Prince,  it  is  easy  to  see," 
said  the  baron,  smiling  uneasily.  "  And  I  fear  you  will 
give  us  trouble." 

I  meant  to,  but  not  of  the  kind  as  anticipated. 

"That  may  be,"  I  replied,  ungraciously  and  curtly. 
"  But  now,  if  you  please,  as  to  these  conditions." 

"  We  can  accept  them  if  you  will  pledge  yourself  to 
take  no  rash  action  in  hazarding  your  life  until  we 
have  succeeded.  Otherwise  I  for  one  shall  withdraw, 
even  now. " 

I  could  have  laughed  aloud  at  the  firm,  decisive  tone 
in  which  he  said  this — for  it  was  the  proof  of  how  I 
had  turned  the  tables  upon  them.  I  hesitated  before 
replying,  as  if  to  think. 

"  Yes,  it  is  fair  that  I  should  give  such  a  pledge,"  I 
said  then.  "  I  will  wait.  It  will  not  be  long." 

"  In  a  fortnight,  by  the  grace  of  God,  all  will  be 
effected,"  cried  Baron  Heckscher  fervently.  Then, 
rising,  he  said  with  enthusiasm :  "  Gentlemen,  to  our 
future  Queen — Queen  Minna  of  Bavaria.  May  the 
blessing  of  God  light  upon  her,  and  let  her  bring  peace 
to  this  distracted  State.  In  the  name  of  God  I  swear 
allegiance  to  the  new  ruler  of  Bavaria. " 

He  raised  his  right  hand  on  high  as  he  took  this 
equivocal  and  falsely  true  oath,  and  every  man  present 
followed  his  example.  It  was  an  impressive  scene,  and 
I  made  haste  to  improve  the  occasion. 

"We  will  sign  the  declaration  now,"  I  said  quietly. 

The  baron  produced  that  which  had  been  formerly 
signed — a  short,  simply  worded  document  pledging  the 
signatories  to  allegiance ;  and  as  he  appeared  loath  to 
allow  the  paper  to  pass  out  of  his  own  hands,  he  him- 
self copied  and  then  burnt  it.  I  raised  no  objection  to 
this  proceeding,  or  to  the  wording,  which  was  suffi- 


A   Council  of  Conspiracy  125 

ciently  compromising  for  the  purpose  I  had  in  view. 
The  other  men  signed  it  first,  and  I  observed  that  the 
baron  hung  back  until  the  last. 

"I  am  the  last  to  join  you,  I  will  sign  last,"  I  said 
quietly,  and  I  laid  it  before  him. 

He  wished  to  protest,  I  could  see,  but  there  was  no 
valid  reason.  For  the  present  at  any  rate  I  was  in 
the  position  of  power. 

He  wrote  his  name  slowly  and,  I  thought,  reluc- 
tantly, and  when  he  had  finished,  he  put  the  paper 
across  the  small  table,  and  held  it  firmly  in  one  hand, 
pointing  with  the  other  to  the  place  where  I  should 
write  my  name.  I  saw  his  object  was  the  same  as  my 
own — to  get  and  keep  possession  of  a  paper  on  which 
the  life  of  every  man  signing  it  might  depend.  But 
it  was  an  essential  part  of  my  plan  that  I  myself  should 
have  possession  of  the  paper  to  use  as  I  might  after- 
ward find  necessary.  And  I  outwitted  him.  Not  giv- 
ing a  sign  of  my  intention,  I  took  the  pen  he  gave  me 
and  glanced  at  it. 

"A  pen  that  will  have  a  history,"  I  said,  looking  at 
him. 

Then  in  making  a  movement  as  of  preparation  to 
sign  I  dropped  the  pen,  and  as  I  stooped  and  picked  it 
up  I  broke  the  nib  designedly,  exclaiming  at  my  care- 
lessness. 

"No  matter,  there  is  another  pen  there,"  I  cried 
hurriedly,  and  with  a  sudden  pull  I  snatched  the  sheet 
from  his  grasp,  carried  it  to  another  table,  and  signed 
it  before  he  had  recovered  from  his  surprise  and  vexa- 
tion. Then  I  blotted  it  quickly,  folded  it,  and  put  it 
away  in  my  pocket,  as  though  this  were  the  most  natu- 
ral and  ordinary  course. 

But  I  saw  the  men  look  from  one  to  the  other  with 


i  26  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

half-hidden  apprehension  in  their  glances.  I  knew  it 
was  a  crisis,  and  I  carried  it  through  with  a  dash. 

"  As  head  of  my  house,  and  the  only  blood  relative 
of  our  future  Queen,  I  shall  guard  with  religious  care 
this  declaration  of  your  allegiance  and  fidelity,  this 
charter  of  the  new  Bavarian  freedom,"  I  said,  raising 
my  voice  and  speaking  with  as  much  dignity  as  I  could 
assume.  "In  my  cousin's  name  I  thank  you  for  your 
help,  and  I  promise  you  the  most  earnest,  most  cordial, 
and  most  generous  recognition  of  your  efforts.  From 
this  moment  her  life  belongs  to  her  country.  For  my- 
self, I  assure  you  that,  although  I  am  the  last  to  join 
you,  no  man  shall  be  found  more  active,  resolute,  and 
vigilant  in  the  cause.  God  bless  Queen  Minna  of  Ba- 
varia! " 

They  echoed  the  words,  but  there  was  little  hearti- 
ness in  the  tone,  except  from  the  two  men  whom  I  knew 
to  be  loyal ;  and  I  stood  on  my  guard,  half  expecting 
some  kind  of  attack. 

But  the  moment  passed  and  nothing  was  said  or  done 
to  thwart  me ,  and  after  a  few  words  of  lying  congratu- 
lation upon  the  evening's  work  from  the  baron,  the 
meeting  broke  up. 

As  the  men  left  I  could  tell  that  my  acts  had  pro- 
duced a  great  impression  on  them,  and  that  I  had  at 
least  convinced  them  that  I  was  not  a  man  with  whom 
they  could  safely  trifle. 

But  my  task  had  only  begun. 


CHAPTER  XI 

"EVEN  ONE  SUBJECT  MAY  MAKE  A  KINGDOM" 

WHEN  the  last  of  the  men  had  left,  and  I  had  seen 
von  Nauheim  go  out  with  the  old  baron  in  close  con- 
sultation, I  sat  on  alone  for  a  time  thinking  with  some 
exultation  of  the  result  of  my  week's  work  in  Munich, 
and  of  the  vastly  changed  position  which  my  shuffling 
of  the  cards  had  created. 

I  should  certainly  sleep  the  sounder  for  the  value  I 
had  contrived  to  put  on  my  life  in  their  eyes;  for  I 
calculated  that  until  they  had  had  time  to  reconstruct 
their  plans  they  would  not  venture  to  attack  me. 

What  would  they  do?  I  pondered  the  question  very 
carefully,  turning  it  over  and  over  in  my  thoughts  as 
I  knew  that  wily  old  baron  was  doing  at  the  self-same 
moment — unless  he  had  already  made  a  plan  and  had 
taken  von  Nauheim  out  to  impart  it  to  him. 

One  thing  soon  made  itself  quite  clear.  Whatever 
form  their  next  move  might  take,  it  would  closely  con- 
cern Minna.  She  was  the  pivot  on  which  everything 
turned  in  their  inner  plot.  So  long  as  she  was  a  free 
agent,  and  able  to  do  what  I  had  said — openly  renounce 
the  scheme  and  publicly  abandon  her  claim  to  the 
throne — they  would  not  touch  me.  But  the  instant 
they  could  get  her  into  their  control  my  power  would 
be  broken.  I  should  no  longer  be  necessary  to  them, 
but  in  the  way.  I  could  guess  what  would  follow. 

I  determined,  therefore,  to  take  the  initiative  and 


128  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

force  the  game  with  von  Nauheim;  and,  fortunately, 
he  gave  me  an  opportunity. 

After  I  had  been  alone  about  an  hour  he  returned, 
and  did  not  take  any  trouble  to  hide  the  fact  that  he 
was  in  a  very  bad  temper.  When  the  surface  was 
scratched,  he  was  too  much  of  a  cad  to  remember  that 
he  was  my  host.  He  swaggered  into  the  room  and 
poured  himself  out  a  stiff  glass  of  brandy  and  drank 
it.  Then  he  turned  to  me. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  you've  managed  things  devil- 
ish well  to  try  and  play  the  master  in  this  way  ?  " 

"Well,  I  haven't  done  badly,"  I  said,  with  a  shrug 
of  the  shoulders. 

"  I  should  like  to  know  what  you  mean  about  your 
condition  about  my  marriage — cursed  interference,  I 
call  it." 

"  My  meaning  was  plain  enough  to  the  rest ;  surely 
I  need  not  repeat  it." 

"  Oh,  I  know  what  you  mean.  But  what  the  devil 
is  it  to  you?  Is  it  your  game  to  try  and  stop  this  mar- 
riage altogether?  You  won't,  you  know,  so  you  needn't 
try." 

"  I  would  rather  discuss  family  affairs  with  you  when 

you're "    I  was  going  to  say  sober,   but  checked 

myself  and  changed  it  to — "  when  you  are  less  excited." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that? "  he  cried,  taking  fire 
and  speaking  furiously.  "  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate 
that  I'm  drunk?"  and  he  rose  and  came  up  close 
to  me. 

.At  that  I  guessed  his  motive  by  a  kind  of  intuition. 
He  meant  to  put  a  quarrel  on  me  over  this  postpone- 
ment of  the  marriage ;  and  probably  to  let  it  develop 
into  a  scuffle,  in  which  he  would  try  to  regain  posses- 
sion of  the  paper  I  had  put  in  my  pocket. 


"One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom"     129 

"I  prefer  not  to  continue  the  conversation  now,"  I 
said  coolly. 

"But  you'll  have  to,  whether  you  wish  it  or  not. 
I'm  not  going  to  let  you  ride  roughshod  over  me,  I 
can  tell  you.  You'll  just  have  the  goodness  to  apolo- 
gize to  me  for  your  insinuation  that  I'm  drunk.  D'ye 
hear? " 

"  I  have  not  the  least  intention  of  apologizing  to  you 
for  anything,"  said  I  sharply. 

"Oh,  won't  you?  We'll  see  about  that,"  he  cried, 
in  an  even  louder  voice ;  and  then  by  deliberate  inten- 
tion I  saw  him  knock  over  a  small  table  on  which  a 
number  of  bottles  and  glasses  stood.  These  fell  to  the 
ground  with  a  loud  clatter  and  crash,  and  the  next  mo- 
ment a  couple  of  servants  came  running  into  the  room. 

I  judged  that  it  was  a  preconcerted  signal,  for 
the  moment  they  appeared  he  put  his  hand  on  my 
arm  and,  staring  threateningly  into  my  face,  swore  at 
me. 

"You  shall  not  leave  the  room  till  you've  apolo- 
gized," he  said,  calling  the  two  men  to  his  side. 

I  kept  cool  enough.  I  had  no  difficulty  in  shaking 
off  his  hand,  and  I  stared  him  full  in  the  face  with  so 
stern  a  look  that,  bully  as  he  was,  he  flinched  and  wa- 
vered and  changed  color. 

"  Are  you  mad,  Count  von  Nauheim,  that  you  would 
make  me  forget  I  am  under  your  roof? " 

"No,  I'm  not  mad  nor  drunk  either ;  but  you  shall 
repent  this  night's  work.  Here,"  he  called  to  the  men 
again. 

What  he  meant  to  do  I  know  not,  for  my  next  action 
produced  so  wholly  unexpected  a  result  that  he  had  no 
chance  to  do  anything. 

I  whipped  out  the  revolver  I  had  in  my  pocket  and 
9 


1 30  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

levelled  it  point-blank  in  the  lackeys'  faces  and  bade 
them  in  ringing  tones  to  be  off  out  of  the  room.  They 
stayed  for  no  second  bidding,  but  turned  on  their  heels 
and  scampered  for  their  lives,  leaving  their  master 
looking  very  much  of  a  fool  in  the  middle  of  the  room. 
I  put  the  revolver  away  again  then  and  turned  to  him. 

"  Now  that  we  are  alone  again,  what  do  you  mean 
to  do? " 

But  his  courage  had  fled  as  fast  as  his  servants,  and 
with  a  feeble  attempt  at  a  lying  laugh  he  mumbled  out 
something  to  the  effect  that  he  had  meant  no  more  than 
a  joke,  and  turned  away  to  hide  his  confusion  in  an- 
other full  dose  of  brandy. 

I  saw  my  chance  and  took  it. 

"  I  do  not  allow  people  to  play  jokes  of  that  kind 
upon  me,  Count  von  Nauheim,"  I  said,  as  sternly  as  I 
could.  "  I  prefer  to  trust  the  evidence  of  my  own  wits 
and  say  that  you  were  in  earnest  in  the  attempt  to  use 
some  violence  toward  me.  Under  these  circumstances 
I  cannot,  of  course,  remain  another  hour  in  your  house ; 
and  you  will  understand  this  to  mean  that  I  cannot 
receive  you  at  Gramberg.  You  will  therefore  spare 
me  the  unpleasantness  of  telling  my  servants  to  refuse 
you  admittance  by  not  attempting  to  come  there." 

"  Do  you  mean  that  you  will  try  to  keep  me  from  my 
affianced  wife? " 

"  Unless  my  cousin  chooses  to  meet  you  elsewhere 
than  at  Gramberg,  that  is  precisely  what  will  happen," 
I  answered. 

"I  suppose  you  want  the  fortune  for  yourself?"  he 
sneered. 

"  You  have  a  short  memory,  count.  You  have  for- 
gotten you  told  me  the  fortune  would  come  to  me  as 
soon  as  this  matter  was  successfully  accomplished. " 


"One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom"     131 

He  flushed,  for  he  had  evidently  forgotten  that  part 
of  his  former  instructions,  and  my  reminder  irritated 
him. 

"  Then  maybe  you  want  Minna,  and  have  a  fancy 
yourself  to  sit  on  the  throne?  " 

"I  have  nothing  further  to  say  to  you,"  I  answered 
stiffly.  "  Any  communication  I  have  to  make  regard- 
ing matters  here  shall  be  made  to  Baron  Heckscher. " 
And  with  that  I  left  the  room  and  the  house. 

I  was  glad  of  the  quarrel  for  many  reasons.  We 
should  be  rid  of  the  man's  presence  at  Gramberg  while 
making  our  preparations  there ;  and  I  should  feel  much 
freer  in  any  future  visits  to  Munich.  But  most  wel- 
come of  all  was  the  fact  that  I  knew  Minna  would  be 
delighted  at  my  having  secured  that  she  should  not 
see  him  again. 

I  went  to  a  hotel,  passed  a  very  comfortable  night 
after  a  very  full  day,  and  the  next  morning  before 
setting  out  for  Gramberg  I  paid  a  visit  to  each  of  the 
two  men  whom  I  had  ascertained  to  be  loyal  to  Minna. 
Their  names  were  Kummell  and  Beilager;  and  I  urged 
them,  for  reasons  which  I  would  explain,  to  pay  a  se- 
cret visit  to  Gramberg.  Then  I  returned  to  the  castle 
lighter  in  heart  and  even  busier  in  thought  than  I  had 
set  out.  Busy  as  I  was  with  the  details  of  my  own 
schemes,  however,  I  found  more  than  once  my  thoughts 
running  ahead  of  me  to  the  castle  in  pleased  specula- 
tion as  to  how  Minna  would  meet  me  and  what  she 
would  say  to  my  news. 

When  I  had  finished  my  train  journey,  and  was  driv- 
ing to  the  castle,  I  could  not  help  comparing  my  pres- 
ent feelings  with  those  on  my  first  arrival  at  the  place. 
I  had  played  the  part  of  the  Prince  so  completely  dur- 
ing the  exciting  experiences  of  the  two  weeks  that  had 


132  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

passed  since  my  arrival,  every  one  had  accepted  my 
impersonation  so  unconditionally,  and  I  had  acted  and 
spoken  so  entirely  as  if  I  were  indeed  the  head  of  that 
great  house,  that  I  had  actually  begun  to  feel  that  I 
was  in  reality  the  Prince.  I  looked  Upon  the  signs  of 
deference,  the  honors,  the  ready  compliance  with  my 
wishes,  the  submission  to  my  orders,  as  though  they 
were  my  just  due;  and  I  was  conscious  of  a  greatly 
increased  sense  of  dignity,  which,  I  have  no  doubt,  im- 
parted itself  to  my  mien  and  speech. 

I  had  now  no  thoiight  of  drawing  back,  of  course, 
until  at  least  I  had  cut  the  knot  of  Minna's  difficulties; 
and  I  had  begun  to  entertain  some  very  unpleasant 
and  disquieting  doubts  and  anxieties  as  to  how  I  could 
shake  off  my  borrowed  plumes  and  return  to  the  hum- 
drum, meaningless,  empty,  incognito  existence. 

As  to  that,  indeed,  a  new  set  of  thoughts  had  begun 
to  take  shape  in  my  mind — wild  and  forlorn  hopes,  in 
truth,  but  none  the  less  cherished.  The  idea  was  to 
try  and  so  carry  through  this  business  of  the  Munich 
plot  as  to  ingratiate  myself  sufficiently  into  the  favor 
of  the  great  ones  at  Berlin  to  win  back  my  own  posi- 
tion and  inheritance. 

The  most  spurring  motive  that  can  move  a  man  was 
developing  in  me,  and  developing  fast.  As  a  supposi- 
titious Prince  von  Gramberg  I  was  absolutely  impos- 
sible as  a  Suitor  for  Minna's  hand.  Even  if  I  could 
save  her  from  this  terrible  entanglement,  and  escape 
any  recognition,  I  could  not  marry  her,  My  life  would 
then  have  to  be  lived  over  a  mine  which  might  be  ex- 
ploded under  my  feet  at  any  moment,  to  the  ruin  of 
both  her  life  and  my  own. 

As  an  English  adventurer  and  ex-play-actor  my  case 
was  just  as  hopeless.  But  as  Count  von  Rudloff  there 


"One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom"     133 

would  be  no  such  bar  of  family  between  us ;  my  family 
was  indeed  as  old  as  any  in  the  kingdom,  and  I  set  my 
wits  to  work  zealously  to  find  means  by  which  I  could 
use  this  plot  to  that  end.  But  the  odds  against  me 
were  enough  to  make  any  one  despair,  and  the  knowl- 
edge almost  appalled  me. 

I  was  not  long  left  in  doubt  as  to  the  manner  of  my 
reception  at  Gram  berg.  My  cousin  was  waiting  for 
me  on  the  very  threshold,  and  she  came  to  meet  me, 
her  face  aglow  with  pleasure,  and  her  eyes  beaming 
with  the  warmest  of  welcomes.  She  took  my  hand  in 
both  hers,  and  for  the  moment  could  do  no  more  than 
murmur  words  of  welcome  and  gladness  at  my  return. 
As  for  me,  the  sweetness  of  her  beauty,  the  touch  of 
her  hands  in  mine,  and  the  sheer  delight  I  felt  in  her 
presence  held  me  tongue-tied. 

Then  her  words  burst  out  with  a  rush,  and  she  plied 
me  with  question  upon  question  about  my  news,  my 
doings  in  Munich,  what  was  to  happen,  and  a  thousand 
other  things,  until  I  caught  von  Krugen's  dark  eyes — 
he  had  met  me  at  the  station  and  was  standing  by  me 
now — fixed  upon  her  in  shrewd  speculation. 

"  I  could  not  hold  back  my  impatience  a  minute 
longer,  cousin  Hans,"  she  said  at  length,  with  a  smile, 
"  Although  my  good  aunt  Gratz  would  have  had  me 
wait  upstairs  in  my  rooms  until  you  would  find  it  con- 
venient to  see  me.  You  will  forgive  me  for  this  un- 
ceremonious assault? " 

I  would  have  loved  to  tell  her  what  I  really  thought 
about  it ;  but  I  put  a  curb  on  any  such  madness  by  re- 
flecting that  her  anxiety  had  nothing  in  it  personal  to 
myself. 

"It  would  take  so  long  in  the  telling,"  I  answered. 
"  I  can  scarce^  tell  it  to  you  here." 


134  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

A  look  of  regret  and  surprise  dashed  her  face  for  the 
moment,  and  she  withdrew  her  hands  from  mine  and 
bit  her  lips. 

"  I  have  done  wrong  in  rushing  to  you  thus.  You 
will  think  it  unseemly.  Will  you  let  me  know  how 
soon  you  can  come  to  me?  Do  believe,  cousin,  I  would 
not  wittingly  do  anything  to  displease  you." 

I  stood  silent  like  a  dumb  fool;  and  then  after  a 
pause  she  added : 

"  I  ought  to  have  reflected  you  would  have  many 
things  to  do,  and  that  I — that  I  should  be  in  the  way. 
I  will  go. " 

"No,  don't  go,"  I  blurted  out,  and  then  could  say  no 
more. 

She  looked  at  me  in  justifiable  astonishment,  and 
wrinkled  her  brows  in  perplexity. 

"  The  Prince  was  saying  as  we  drove  here  that  he 
must  see  you  at  once,  countess,"  interposed  von  Kru- 
gen,  and  I  could  have  blessed  him  for  the  words.  Then 
he  went  forward  and  threw  open  the  door  of  the  room 
next,  and  looked  round  as  if  inviting  us  to  enter.  It 
was  the  library. 

I  shook  myself  together  with  an  effort  and  gathered 
my  scattered  wits. 

"  Can  you  spare  me  an  interview  at  once?  "  I  asked 
Minna. 

"  Cousin !  "  and  her  astonishment  deepened  and  found 
expression  in  her  tone.  "  Am  I  not  here  for  that  very 
purpose — and  dying  to  learn  the  news?  Come;"  and 
she  went  into  the  room  and  led  the  way  to  the  far  end, 
as  it  chanced  to  the  very  window  from  the  embrasure 
of  which  I  had  first  seen  her.  "  I  hope  your  first  news 
is  that  all  this  plot  is  at  an  end,  and  that  the  project  of 
the  marriage  is  dead  with  it? " 


"One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom"     135 

J  had  mastered  my  stupid  embarrassment  by  this 
time  and  had  found  my  tongue  again. 

"  You  must  listen  carefully  to  all  I  have  to  tell  you, 
and  then  to  what  I  propose  to  do,"  I  replied,  and 
plunged  at  once  into  as  plain  a  recital  as  I  could  give 
of  all  that  part  of  the  proceedings  which  I  deemed  it 
necessary  to  tell  her.  I  dwelt  upon  the  reasons  why 
in  my  opinion  it  was  impossible  to  draw  back  yet,  and 
upon  all  I  expected  to  gain  by  the  counterplot  I  had 
devised. 

"  I  will  not  see  the  Count  von  Nauheim  again,"  she 
said,  and  her  dislike  of  him  was  the  first  and  strongest 
feeling  she  expressed.  Nor  did  I  grieve  at  this. 

"He  will  not  come  here,"  I  said.  "I  was  going  to 
force  a  quarrel  on  him  to  make  that  impossible  when 
he  saved  me  the  trouble  by  putting  one  on  me.  I 
then  warned  him  off  the  place." 

"Good,  very  good!"  she  cried,  her  eyes  flashing. 
"  If  I  were  to  see  him  again,  I  could  not  restrain  my 
hatred.  I  should  tell  him  exactly  how  I  feel  toward 
him.  It  is  loathsome  even  to  be  linked  in  name  with 
such  a  man.  But  as  that  is  settled,  I  will  do  whatever 
you  wish.  I  knew  you  would  be  too  much  for  them 
all,  cousin  Hans,  if  they  did  not  kill  you,  as  I  sadly 
feared  they  would.  I  shall  never  be  able  to  repay 
you,"  she  added,  looking  to  me  and  smiling.  "If  I 
were  only  a  man,  I  could " 

"  What?  "  I  asked  when  she  stopped. 

"  I  could  at  least  fight  with  you  instead  of  being  a 
clog  and  a  drag." 

"You  are  our  inspiration,"  I  said  earnestly,  and  at 
that  her  cheeks  flushed  and  she  cast  down  her  eyes. 

"I  wish  all  the  trouble  were  over,"  she  said  pres- 
ently. 


I  36  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  We  must  not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry.  We  have 
done  very  well  so  far.  A  little  pluck  and  dash,  and 
slice  or  two  of  luck,  and  we  shall  get  through  all  right. 
But  now  tell  me,  can  you  think  of  any  place  in  Munich, 
or  near  there,  where  you  can  go  secretly  and  hide  when 
the  moment  comes? " 

"Why  must  I  be  put  out  of  the  way  in  this  fashion? 
It  seems  like  running  away  at  the  very  moment  of 
peril,  and  I  am  not  afraid.  Do  you  think  I  am  a 
coward? " 

"  This  is  no  question  of  bravery  or  cowardice.  It  is 
merely  a  matter  of  tactics.  The  very  keystone  of  this 
inner  plot  of  theirs  is  that  you  shall  be  missing  when 
the  cry  is  raised  for  you  to  ascend  the  throne.  To 
secure  that  these  people  will  stick  at  nothing — they 
would  even  take  your  life.  Now,  for  the  success  of 
my  counter-scheme,  I  must  be  able  to  have  you  at 
hand  just  when  I  want  you.  That  is  all-important. 
You  will  have  to  go  to  Munich  in  apparent  compliance 
with  their  wishes  for  you  to  be  ready  for  the  final  coup, 
and  we  shall  show  no  sign  of  suspicion,  but  you  will 
have  trusty  guards  to  protect  you  against  attack.  My 
scheme  is  to  let  them  carry  off  some  one  in  your  place, 
and  for  that  purpose  I  shall  endeavor  tc  get  wind  of 
their  plan  of  abduction.  What  I  wish  to  do  is  to  shut 
out  suspicion  that  we  have  fooled  them  until  it  is  too 
late  for  them  to  change  their  plans.  Is  there  any  one 
among  your  maids  whom  you  could  trust  to  personate 
you,  who  is  sufficiently  like  you  in  height  and  color 
and  so  on  to  be  mistaken  for  you  by  a  stranger,  know- 
ing you  only  by  description  or  having  only  seen  you 
once?  She  would  of  course  be  dressed  to  represent 
you,  and  she  must  be  sufficiently  devoted  to  you  to 
take  a  risk  and  hold  her  tongue." 


"One  Subject  May  Make  a  Kingdom"     137 

w  Yes,  my  dressing-maid,  Marie,  might  pass  for  me 
under  such  circumstances,  and  I  would  answer  for  her 
stanchness. " 

"  Tell  her  nothing  until  the  time  is  close  at  hand. 
Then  let  her  know  what  has  to  be  done.  She  will 
wear  your  dress  and  will  be  carried  off ;  you  will  slip 
away ;  and  I  shall  go  in  a  fine  rage  to  von  Nauheim 
to  frighten  him  from  getting  to  see  his  captive,  and 
thus  discover  the  trick.  Your  present  task,  then,  will 
be  to  get  ready  for  that  part  of  the  scheme,  and  also 
to  think  of  some  safe  place  to  which  you  can  go. " 

"I  will  willingly  do  more,  if  it  will  help  you,"  she 
said. 

The  completeness  of  her  trust  in  me  was  apparent  in 
every  word  she  spoke. 

"  There  will  be  plenty  of  exciting  work  to  follow,"  I 
replied,  with  a  smile,  for  I  was  pleased  by  her  eager- 
ness to  help.  "  Your  Majesty  may  depend  upon  it  that 
a  throne  is  not  to  be  gained  without  a  struggle." 

"  I  should  make  a  poor  Queen,"  she  answered. 

"  You  will  make  a  beautiful  one ;  and  if  the  Bava- 
rians once  get  sight  of  you,  they  will  not  readily  let 
you  go." 

She  looked  at  me  earnestly  and,  with  half  a  sigh, 
said: 

"  You  should  not  pay  me  empty  compliments,  cousin 
Hans.  You  should  not  say  things  you  do  not  mean." 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  truer  that  I  must  not  say  all 
I  do  mean,"  I  returned,  and  for  the  moment  my  eyes 
spoke  even  more  than  my  words;  and  I  made  haste  to 
add,  in  as  light  a  tone  as  I  could :  "  Your  Majesty  will 
have  at  least  one  devoted  subject,  whatever  may  hap- 
pen." 

"  I  believe  that  with  all  my  heart,"  she  answered,  in 


138  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

a  tone  and  with  a  look  of  confidence  and  trust  that 
thrilled  me.  Then  she  smiled  very  slightly,  and  add- 
ed :  "  Even  one  subject  may  make  a  kingdom ;  though 
I'm  sadly  afraid  I  should  not  be  the  ruler  of  even  such 
a  realm." 

I  longed  to  turn  her  jest  to  earnest,  and  assure  her 
that  if  she  did  not  no  one  else  ever  should;  but  I 
pulled  myself  up  on  the  verge,  and  remembered  that, 
after  all,  I  was  an  impostor,  though  loyal  enough  to 
her.  And  so  I  made  no  reply,  and  dared  not  even  look 
at  her. 

After  a  pause  she  rose,  and,  with  what  sounded  like 
a  half-suppressed  sigh,  she  went  away. 

I  let  her  go,  and  it  was  not  until  she  had  left  the 
room  that  the  thought  struck  me  that  my  silence  might 
have  seemed  currish  and  curmudgeonly.  Then  I 
would  have  gone  after  her  and  told  her,  and  I  made 
a  step  toward  the  door;  but  the  thought  of  what  I 
should  say  and  how  to  explain  my  meaning  stopped 
me,  and  as  I  hesitated  Captain  von  Krugen  came  in  to 
resume  the  conference  we  had  commenced  during  the 
drive  from  the  station. 


CHAPTER   XII 

MY    SCHEME    DEVELOPS 

I  TOOK  von  Krugen  into  my  confidence  as  to  my  dis- 
coveries and  plans.  I  showed  him  the  documents  I 
had  brought  back  from  Munich ;  told  him  of  my  meet- 
ing with  Praga ;  the  secret  history  of  the  duel  which 
had  ended  young  Gustav's  life;  and,  at  the  close,  in- 
vited him  to  say  plainly  what  he  thought  of  the  coun- 
ter-scheme, and  of  our  chances  of  carrying  it  through. 

"  It  is  about  the  only  chance,"  he  said,  "and  once  on 
the  throne  there  is  no  reason  why  the  countess  should 
not  stay  there." 

"  On  the  contrary,  there  are  two  overpowering  rea- 
sons— her  own  disinclination,  and  the  attitude  of  the 
Imperial  authorities  at  Berlin." 

"  There  may  be  a  third,"  he  growled  into  his  beard, 
looking  sharply  at  me. 

"  What  is  that? "  I  asked,  though  I  could  almost 
guess  his  meaning.  But  he  turned  the  question 
adroitly. 

"That  her  Majesty  would  have  little  wish  for  a 
royal  marriage  with  an  imperially  selected  consort 
chosen  by  Berlin.  Her  Majesty  has  a  heart,  unfortu- 
nately, and  God  bless  her  for  it. " 

"That  will  be  all  as  she  pleases,"  said  I  quietly. 
"  At  any  rate,  our  purpose  is  to  give  her  the  opportu- 
nity of  declining  the  throne,  and  to  save  her  from 
these  villains  who  would  hound  her  down. " 


140  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

His  face  grew  as  dark  as  night. 

41  God !  if  that  villain  ever  dares  to  cross  her  path 
again,  I'll  run  my  sword  through  his  carcass,  if  I  die 
the  next  minute;  and  if  he  doesn't  come  near  her,  I'll 
seek  him  out  the  moment  this  business  is  through,  and 
make  him  fight  me.  He  has  put  not  one  but  a  thou- 
sand insults  on  me — and  he  a  traitor  all  the  time. 
And  to  think  the  Prince  believed  in  him  implicitly  to 
the  last.  And  so  did  I." 

"  Maybe  the  Prince  had  not  the  private  knowledge 
of  the  man  that  I  had,  nor  had  you,"  I  said  unguard- 
edly. 

My  companion  started  and  looked  at  me  in  such  sur- 
prise that  I  saw  my  blunder  in  a  moment. 

"You  had  known  him  previously?"  he  asked  slowly. 

"  I  had  known  of  him,"  I  answered  in  a  tone  of  in- 
difference. "  It's  a  long  story,  and  I  may  tell  it  you 
some  day." 

"It  is  not  for  me  to  question  your  Highness,  of 
course,  but  I  should  never  betray  a  confidence,"  he 
replied,  piqued,  as  I  thought,  that  I  said  no  more ;  and 
for  the  moment  I  was  hugely  tempted  to  tell  him  the 
whole  sryto. 

It  might  be  enormous  value  to  have  a  stanch  ally 
in  my  full  confidence  for  the  task  I  had  to  carry 
through ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  I  could  not  tell  how 
such  a  man  would  care  to  take  his  orders  from  an  ex- 
play-actor,  and  I  decided  that  I  dared  not  run  a  risk  at 
such  a  crisis.  So  I  held  my  tongue,  and  sat  as  if  my 
thoughts  were  busy  with  our  plans. 

41  There  is  much  to  do,  captain,"  I  said  at  length, 
"  and  we  must  waste  as  little  time  as  possible  in  con- 
sultation. In  the  first  place,  we  have  to  keep  open 
a  means  of  communicating  with  Pra-ga.  Are  you 


My  Scheme  Develops  14? 

too  well  known  in  Munich  to  go  backward  and  for- 
ward?" 

"  I  fear  so ;  but  there  is  Steinitz.  He  is  scarcely 
known  at  all  there  j  but  he  has  not  yet  returned  from 
where  you  sent  him. " 

I  had  forgotten  altogether  about  him  and  his  mis- 
sion ;  and,  now  that  the  matter  was  recalled  to  me,  the 
length  of  his  absence  gave  me  an  uneasy  twinge. 
There  must  be  some  very  serious  cause  for  so  long 
a  delay. 

"He  should  have  been  back  some  days  ago,"  I  re- 
plied slowly.  "  Probably  he  will  be  here  to-day  or  to- 
morrow, at  latest,  and  that  will  be  in  time  for  our  pur- 
pose. I  myself  shall  return  to  Munich  in  a  day  or 
two ;  but  I  have  purposely  made  no  appointment  as 
yet,  and  shall  make  none  till  the  eve  of  my  going,  be- 
cause, if  my  absence  from  here  were  to  be  known  in 
advance,  it  might  probably  be  the  signal  for  some  at- 
tempt against  the  Countess  Minna." 

"  How  shall  you  foil  the  attempt  when  it  does 
come?"  asked  von  Krugen. 

"  By  vigilance  mainly ;  but  I  mean  also  to  appear  to 
play  into  this  Baron  Heckscher's  hands,  while  in  real- 
ity forcing  them.  I  shall  see  him  and  tell  him  that  all 
here  will  be  in  Munich  two  days  before  the  Court  ball. 
That  will  give  them  time  to  make  their  plans  to  strike 
during  those  two  days.  Further,  my  present  idea  is 
that  for  the  whole  of  those  two  days  the  character  of 
the  countess  shall  be  doubled;  this  waiting-maid  of 
hers  will  be  dressed  precisely  as  she  herself  is  dresseS 
the  whole  time,  and,  except  when  any  one  comes  to  the 
house  who  is  in  the  house,  and  who  knows  the  countess 
on  sight,  the  girl  will  be  the  countess  to  every  one. 
This  means  that  the  servants  we  take  with  us  must  be 


142  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

strangers,  with  the  exception  of  one  or  two  on  whom 
we  can  rely  implicitly.  And  I  depend  on  you  to  make 
the  selection." 

"  There  are  several  here  for  whom  I  would  answer 
as  for  myself;  but  isn't  there  a  risk  in  so  long  a  dou- 
bling of  the  parts? " 

"  Maybe ;  but  we  must  be  content  to  take  it.  My 
object  is  so  to  arrange  matters  that  we  ourselves  shall 
virtually  select  the  moment  when  they  will  try  to  get 
hold  of  my  cousin.  Thus  I  shall  make  it  quite  plain 
to  them  that  during  every  moment  of  every  hour  she 
is  in  Munich  she  will  be  strictly  watched  and  guarded 
by  us;  but  I  shall  manage  to  let  a  weak  link  appear  in 
the  chain,  and  I  have  chosen  this  one.  During  the  two 
days  I  shall  give  it  out  that  my  cousin  is  not  well,  and 
can  only  receive  one  or  two  persons.  But  there  is  to 
be  a  reception  at  the  palace  by  the  King  on  the  after- 
noon of  the  day  of  the  Court  ball,  and  I  shall  let  it  ap- 
pear that  our  vigilance  must  be  relaxed  on  th«  return 
drive  from  the  palace  to  the  house.  It  will  seem  an 
excellent  opportunity  for  them.  But  while  the  coun- 
tess shall  go  herself  to  the  reception,  I  shall  arrange 
for  the  maid  to  take  her  place  on  the  return  drive  with 
the  Baroness  Gratz,  and  my  cousin  will  make  a  suffi- 
cient change  of  dress  in  the  retiring-rooms  to  enable 
her  to  leave  the  palace  unknown." 

"  But  the  Baroness  Gratz? " 

"You  have  no  doubt  of  her  loyalty?"  I  asked 
sharply.  "  Speak  out  plainly  if  you  have." 

"  None  in  the  least.  I  have  no  cause.  I  meant,  what 
of  the  danger  to  her? " 

"  There  will  be  little  or  none.  They  may  indeed  be 
glad  to  let  her  get  away,  while  they  will  do  her  no 
harm  even  if  they  keep  her  prisoner.  But  the  points 


My  Scheme   Develops  143 

in  favor  of  such  a  scheme  outweigh  all  against  it.  It 
will  suit  both  them  and  us  to  have  the  abduction  made 
as  close  to  the  time  of  the  ball  as  possible — them,  be- 
cause we  should  then  have  no  time  to  make  a  disturb- 
ance ;  us,  because  the  shorter  time  we  have  to  keep 
watch  over  von  Nauheim  to  prevent  his  finding  out 
the  deception  the  better.  A  few  hours  later  we  shall 
be  absolute  masters  of  the  situation. " 

"It's  a  scheme  that  stirs  one's  blood,"  cried  von 
Krugen  warmly.  "  But  those  few  hours  will  be  anx- 
ious ones." 

"  Meanwhile  the  Duke  Marx  will  have  been  caught 
in  the  toils  set  for  him,  and  will  be  in  our  power ;  the 
King  will  be  taken  at  the  ball,  and  thus  our  whole 
course  will  be  clear.  The  mimic  ceremony  of  abdica- 
tion will  take  place,  the  cry  will  be  raised  for  the 
Queen  Minna,  and  just  when  they  are  chuckling  that 
she  cannot  be  found  I  shall  lead  her  forward  and  put 
her  in  the  place  of  honor,  and  make  some  sort  of 
speech  in  her  name — probably  to  the  effect  that  she 
will  take  time  to  consider  her  course.  They  will  be 
thus  caught  like  rats  in  a  hole  they  themselves  have 
undermined;  and  there  will  be  a  pretty  tableau." 

"And  then?" 

"Well,  our  first  step  will  be  to  look  out  for  our- 
selves. The  attack  on  me  and  you  will  commence  at 
the  moment  they  believe  they  have  outwitted  us ;  and 
the  danger  will  spread  to  us  all  the  instant  they  find 
we  have  outwitted  them.  But  our  holding  of  their 
duke  as  a  hostage  will  disarm  them. " 

"  You  are  sure  of  Praga,  and  that  he  can  get  hold  of 
the  duke?" 

"  I  am  sure  of  no  one  but  you,"  I  returned;  " and  of 
nothing  except  of  things  as  they  occur  from  hour  to 


144  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

hour.  We  can  only  lay  our  plans  and  do  our  best  to 
carry  them  out;  but  in  such  a  case  any  instant  may 
see  the  unexpected  happening,  and  the  shipwreck  of 
the  best  laid  scheme.  But  I  like  Praga's  lever — a 
woman  is  a  most  useful  mechanism  when  you  under- 
stand how  to  use  her ;  and  when  I  left  Praga  every 
vein  of  his  was  burning  with  a  raging  lust  for  revenge. 
And  he  is  a  Corsican.  But  if  that  part  of  the  scheme 
fails,  we  must  patch  up  another  way,  that's  all.  I 
mean  to  be  stopped  by  nothing. " 

"  By  Heaven,  but  you're  a  man  I  love  to  follow !  "  cried 
my  companion,  his  eyes  kindling  with  enthusiasm. 

Then  I  saw  his  expression  change,  and  he  peered 
curiously  at  me. 

"And  to  think  you've  never  been  anything  but  a 
student.  One  might  think  you  had  lived  in  the  atmos- 
phere of  intrigue  all  your  life.  The  Prince  little  knew 
you.  He  believed  you  were  a  milksop.  How  he  would 
have  loved  you  for  a  man  after  his  own  heart.  Some 
one  must  have  been  lying  to  him  sorely  about  you. " 

"  Dead  slanders  are  of  no  import  to  us,  captain,  nor 
living  flattery  either,"  I  said  shortly.  "We  have  to 
plan  out  our  respective  work  and  to  set  about  do- 
ing it." 

And  with  that  I  told  him  precisely  that  part  of  the 
plan  which  would  fall  to  his  share,  and  gave  him  sug- 
gestions as  to  the  best  way  of  carrying  it  out.  When 
I  had  fully  instructed  him,  I  sent  him  away,  and 
mapped  out  in  my  thoughts  the  further  developments 
I  had  yet  to  plan. 

The  absence  of  Steinitz  gave  me  much  uneasiness. 
It  seemed  so  grossly  out  of  perspective  that  a  big 
scheme  such  as  was  on  hand  should  be  endangered  by 
a  trumpery  little  matter  like  the  selling  of  a  couple  of 


My  Scheme  Develops  145 

farms.  Yet  that  was  the  fear  I  had.  If  Steinitz  had 
been  able  to  find  von  Fromberg  and  to  give  him  my 
message,  he  ought  to  have  been  back  long  since ;  but 
if  he  had  not  found  the  man,  I  could  not  stop  the  sale 
of  the  property.  Yet  if  it  went  on  it  was  almost  cer- 
tain that  the  old  lawyer  would  in  some  way  get  into 
communication  with  the  men  who  were  selling  the 
place  for  von  Fromberg,  and  my  identity  would  at 
once  be  questioned. 

I  would  have  paid  the  money,  of  course,  willingly 
enough ;  but  obviously  I  could  not  buy  an  estate  from 
myself.  Again,  I  could  not  get  over  the  difficulty  in 
any  such  way  as  I  had  employed  with  Praga — that  it 
was  a  freak. 

The  more  I  considered  the  thing  the  easier  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  I  might  be  tripped  up  and  exposed 
through  it;  and  when  the  whole  of  that  day  passed 
without  the  return  of  Steinitz,  my  anxiety  grew  fast. 

He  arrived  on  the  following  afternoon,  but  he 
brought  no  relief  with  him.  He  had  not  found  von 
Fromberg.  He  had  gone  to  Charmes,  and  had  arrived 
there  after  the  wedding  had  taken  place,  and  then  he 
had  set  out  to  follow  the  bride  and  bridegroom  on  their 
tour.  He  had  traced  them  from  hotel  to  hotel,  to 
Nancy,  Bar-le-Duc,  Rheims,  Amiens,  and  thence  to 
Paris ;  but  in  the  French  capital  all  sign  of  them  was 
lost,  and  after  making  many  useless  inquiries  there  he 
had  deemed  it  best  to  return  to  me  and  bring  back  the 
letter.  I  told  him  he  had  done  right,  but  the  incident 
added  to  my  disquiet.  It  was  such  a  contemptibly  lit- 
tle thing,  and  yet,  like  a  poisonous  pin-prick,  it  threat- 
ened to  gangrene  the  whole  venture. 

To  add  to  my  annoyance  and  perplexity,  moreover, 
the  old  lawyer  came  to  me  again  on  the  following  day 
10 


146  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

to  tell  me  that  further  negotiations  had  taken  place  for 
the  sale  of  the  farms,  and  he  pestered  me  to  know 
whether  I  really  meant  to  sell  them  out  of  the  family, 
and  whether  the  Count  von  Nauheim,  as  the  Countess 
Minna's  future  husband,  ought  not  to  be  told  of  the 
matter.  His  manner  showed  that  he  had  a  suspicion 
that  something  was  being  kept  from  him,  and  he  re- 
sented it  strongly. 

It  was  obvious,  of  course,  that  if  he  went  to  von 
Nauheim  the  latter  would  jump  at  the  chance  of  giv- 
ing me  trouble,  and  that  if  any  suspicions  were  even 
hinted  to  him  the  results  might  be  exceedingly  awk- 
ward. Yet  I  could  do  nothing ;  and  I  was  so  irritated 
by  the  lawyer's  persistence  that  I  sent  him  away  with 
a  sharp  reply  that  if  he  wished  to  retain  my  business 
he  had  better  mind  his  own. 

I  could  see  he  was  vastly  astonished  at  this  and  I 
more  than  half  repented  my  words,  but  he  had  gone 
before  I  had  quite  recovered  my  temper.  It  was  un- 
bearable, however,  that  just  when  I  had  all  the  weight 
of  a  really  important  crisis  on  my  shoulders  I  should 
be  worried  by  a  trumpery  thing  of  this  sort.  I  let  him 
go,  therefore,  and  tried  to  dismiss  the  matter  from  my 
thoughts,  while  I  went  on  with  the  completion  of  my 
plans. 

Everything  else  went  as  well  as  we  could  have 
wished.  Minna  herself  entered  heart  and  soul  into 
the  work,  and  in  the  many  interviews  we  had  during 
the  next  few  days  I  could  not  have  wished  for  a  more 
loyal  and  trusty  ally.  Our  little  confidential  confer- 
ences drew  us  very  close  together,  moreover,  and  I 
saw  with  great  delight  that  her  spirits  brightened. 

The  preparations  for  the  critical  work  in  Munich 
occupied  her  so  fully  that  her  thoughts  were  taken  away 


My  Scheme  Develops  147 

from  the  grief  caused  by  the  death  of  her  father,  while 
the  belief  that  success  in  our  venture  would  open  up 
a  new  life  for  her  by  freeing  her  from  the  marriage 
with  von  Nauheim  and  from  the  dreaded  responsibili- 
ties of  the  throne  raised  hopes  which  brought  with 
them  happiness  such  as  she  had  not  known  for  months. 

"  I  owe  it  all  to  you,  cousin,"  she  said  once,  for  she 
grew  to  speak  with  absolute  candor  and  unrestraint  to 
me.  "  If  only  you  had  come  to  Gramberg  earlier,  I 
am  sure  you  would  have  persuaded  my  father  to  aban- 
don the  scheme  altogether;  although  I  think  some- 
times that " 

"  Well?  "  I  asked  when  she  paused. 

"  That  it  is  a  good  thing  you  did  not  come  earlier." 

Her  eyes  were  laughing,  and  the  light  in  them  was 
a  pleasing  thing  to  see. 

"  Perhaps  it  is.     But  why  do  you  think  so?  " 

"  You  have  a  way  of  making  unpleasant  things  pleas- 
ant; and  you  might  have  persuaded  me  to  do  what  he 
wished." 

"  There  are  not  many  women  who  would  need  much 
persuasion  to  be  a  Queen." 

"  Without  conditions,  perhaps." 

"  There  is  one  condition  I  would  never  have  advo- 
cated," said  I,  raising  my  eyes  to  hers.  "  But  you  will 
be  a  Queen  after  all,  and  we  your  humble  servants, 
wishful  only  to  obey  your  royal  commands." 

u  I  have  settled  one  of  the  first  uses  I  shall  make  of 
my  power,"  she  said,  looking  up  and  speaking  as  if 
seriously. 

"And  that  will  be?" 

"  You  will  be  the  object  of  it.  I  shall  issue  an  order 
in  council — Privy  Council." 

"  Privy  Council !     You  are   getting  learned  in  the 


148  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

jargon  of  State.  I  am  afraid  your  Privy  Council  will 
be  a  very  small  one." 

"Yes,"  she  cried,  nodding  her  head  and  smiling. 
"  We  two.  And  the  order  will  be  that  my  chief  coun- 
cillor shall  tell  me  all  the  story  of  his  life.  If  you 
won't  tell  it  to  your  cousin,  you  must  tell  it  to  your 
Queen.  And  I  know  there  are  secrets  in  it.  You 
think  I  don't  take  notice  of  you,  I  suppose;  and  never 
know  when  your  thoughts  are  slipping  away  to  the 
past  and  never  see  that  you  fence  with  my  questions, 
and  glide  away  so  cleverly  from  the  little  traps  I  lay 
You  mustn't  think  because  you  would  make  me  a 
Queen  that  I  have  ceased  to  be  a  woman — and,  being 
a  woman,  to  be  curious." 

"  We  have  no  time  in  these  days " 

" There  you  go,"  she  laughed.  "  I  know  what  you'll 
say.  You  never  think  of  the  past  because  you  are  so 
busy  thinking  of  all  this  business ;  that  when  a  man  is 
planning  a  big  scheme  like  this,  and  has  all  the  details 
to  arrange,  he  has  no  time,  etc. ,  etc.  But  you  have  a 
secret,  cousin  Hans — a  secret  that  is  never  out  of  your 
thoughts;  that  has  nothing  to  do  with  all  this  fresh 
trouble  and  intrigue;  that  took  you  away  from  the 
castle  for  two  days  just  after  you  arrived;  and  that 
has  written  its  lines  on  your  face.  That  may  be  be- 
cause you  can  find  no  one  to  tell  it  to.  Of  course  you 
think  of  me  only  as  a  girl — you  self-contained  strong 
men  always  do  that — and  that  I  should  make  no  sort 

of  a  friend  to  be  trusted  with  secrets.     And  yet " 

she  paused,  and  laying  her  hand  gently  on  mine  said 
softly  and  wistfully,  "  you  have  done  so  much  for  me 
I  should  like  to  be  a  little  help  to  you.  Can  I,  cousin? 
I'm  not  Queen  yet,  you  know,  and  cannot  command. 
I'm  only  a  grateful  girl,  and  can  do  no  more  than  ask." 


My  Scheme  Develops  149 

I  was  not  a  little  disconcerted  to  find  that  she  had 
been  watching  me  so  closely,  and  I  could  not  remain 
untouched  by  the  last  little  appeal.  But  I  could  not 
reply  to  it. 

"You  are  a  stanch  little  comrade,"  I  answered. 
"  But  we  must  put  off  the  story  until  the  Queen  com- 
mands," I  answered,  smiling. 

"  That  is  at  least  an  open  postponement,  if  not  a 
frank  refusal.  But  the  Queen  will  command,  cousin. 
I  want  to  know  why  you  would  not  come  here  at  the 
first ;  what  made  you  change  your  mind ;  how  it  was 
that  all  our  ideas  about  you  were  wrong;  why  you  are 
so  different  from  what  we  all  expected — oh,  there  are 
a  thousand  questions  that  sting  the  tip  of  my  tongue 
with  the  desire  to  ask  them." 

"  You  think  a  student  cannot  also  be  a  man  of  af- 
fairs? "  I  said,  divided  between  pleasure  at  her  interest 
in  me  and  perplexity  at  her  questions. 

"  But  you  are  not  even  a  student.  You  never  open 
a  book;  you  never  quote  things — ah,  now  you  start 
because  I  have  watched  you.  I  can  read  your  eyes, 
although  you  think  you  can  drape  them  with  the  cur- 
tains of  impassiveness.  But  your  wit  is  not  always  on 
guard  to  draw  the  curtains  close  enough.  Yes,  that's 
better;  now  they  are  saying  nothing." 

All  this  time  she  had  been  looking  straight  into  my 
eyes,  and  laughing  in  gleeful  triumph.  And  I  found 
it  embarrassing  enough.  Then  she  changed  suddenly, 
and  said : 

"  Does  my  teasing  worry  you  and  weary  you,  cousin? 
I  can  school  my  curiosity  if  it  does.  But  you  will  tell 
me  all  some  day?  " 

"Is  that  schooling  it?"  I  asked,  and  she  laughed 
again.  "Yes,  I  will  tell  you  some  day  what  there 


150  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

may  be  to  tell.  But  it  could  do  no  good  to  do  so 
yet." 

"Is  it  a  sad  secret?"  she  began  again  after  half 
a  minute's  silence,  and  would  no  doubt  have  gone  on 
with  her  pretty  cross-examination  had  we  not,  fortu- 
nately for  me,  been  interrupted  by  a  servant,  who 
brought  word  that  Steinitz,  whom  I  had  sent  to  Munich, 
had  returned,  and  was  asking  to  see  me  instantly. 

"I  hope  there  is  no  trouble?"  said  Minna,  looking 
alarmed. 

"  I  anticipate  none ;  no  more,  that  is,  than  that  we 
must  break  off  our  conference." 

"You  have  given  me  your  promise,"  she  said. 

"  I  ought  to  have  made  a  condition — that  you  do  not 
read  me  quite  so  carefully,"  I  answered  lightly  as 
I  rose. 

"Then  I  have  read  aright?  To  me  your  eyes  are  as 
books." 

"Yet  you  must  be  careful  how  you  read  them," 
said  I. 

"Why?" 

"  You  may  chance  on  the  chapter  with  your  name  at 
the  head." 

"I  wish  I  could,"  and  she  laughed  and  her  eyes 
brightened.  "  I  would  give  the  world  to  know  whether 
it  is  headed  Queen  of  Bavaria  or  cousin  Minna.  Which 
is  it?  Tell  me,  at  least,  so  much." 

"  It  may  be  neither, "  I  answered  ambiguously;  but 
she  seemed  to  understand '  something  of  my  meaning, 
and  to  be  pleased,  for  her  cheeks  were  aglow  with 
color  as  I  hurried  away. 

Steinitz  was  awaiting  me  impatiently. 

"There  is  ugly  news,  your  Highness,"  he  said 
shortly.  "  I  saw  Praga  early  this  morning,  and  he 


My  Scheme  Develops  151 

bade  me  urge  you  to  hurry  at  once  to  Munich.  He 
has  got  wind  of  a  move  on  the  other  side,  which  he 
prefers  to  tell  to  you  alone.  He  will  meet  you  to- 
morrow at  noon  where  you  met  before,  and  he  declares 
that  the  strictest  vigilance  must  be  used  in  regard  to 
the  countess,  especially  while  you  are  away  from  the 
castle,  and  that  your  visit  to  the  city  should  be  made 
with  the  greatest  secrecy." 

"  He  told  you  nothing  more  of  what  he  had  discov- 
ered? " 

"  No  more  than  I  say.  But  I  gathered  his  meaning 
to  be  that  an  attempt  of  some  kind  is  imminent  to  get 
the  countess  out  of  our  hands  here. " 

This  was  likely  enough,  but  I  did  not  take  so  serious 
a  view  of  the  matter  as  Praga,  because  I  felt  that  when 
I  had  explained  our  movements  to  Baron  Heckscher 
he  would  be  almost  sure  to  select  the  moment  when 
the  thing  could  apparently  be  done  with  the  least  risk 
of  discovery,  and  that  would  be  at  the  last  moment, 
when  Minna  returned  from  the  palace  after  the  recep- 
tion. 

At  the  same  time  I  would  go  to  Munich.  I  had  al- 
ready planned  to  go  there  on  the  following  day  in  any 
event,  and  had  announced  my  intention ;  but  I  settled 
to  start  at  once.  I  sent  for  von  Krugen  and  told  him, 
charging  him  to  keep  the  strictest  watch  over  Minna; 
and  after  a  very  brief  interview  with  her,  in  which  she 
showed  the  liveliest  concern  for  my  safety,  mingled, 
as  it  pleased  me  to  think,  with  regret  at  our  separa- 
tion, I  started  with  -Steinitz  on  what  I  knew  might  be 
a  critical  expedition. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

A    CHECK 

MATTERS  were  now  hurrying  fast  to  a  crisis;  and  I 
hoped  the  result  of  my  journey  would  be  to  complete 
all  my  preparations,  and  leave  me  nothing  to  do  but 
return  to  escort  Minna  to  Munich.  So  far  all  had 
gone  well  enough.  I  had  no  reason  to  think  that 
either  Heckscher  or  von  Nauheim  had  the  remotest 
idea  that  I  knew  of  their  treachery;  and  it  was,  of 
course,  of  the  very  essence  of  my  plan  that  they  should 
remain  in  ignorance.  On  this  account  I  was  unwilling 
to  meet  Praga  again  personally,  and  I  resolved  there- 
fore to  send  Steinitz  to  him  as  soon  as  we  reached 
Munich  to  tell  him  my  intentions,  and  to  get  from  him 
in  return  what  he  believed  to  be  the  Ostenburg  move. 
I  myself  went  straight  to  Baron  Heckscher.  He  re- 
ceived me  with  apparent  cordiality;  but  it  was  not 
difficult  to  see  that  as  the  day  of  the  crisis  drew  near 
his  anxiety  was  growing. 

"All  is  going  well,  I  hope,"  I  said,  after  I  had 
greeted  him.  "  We  have  all  our  preparations  made. " 

"All  is  going  very  well,"  he  replied.  "  But  you  are 
a  day  earlier  in  Munich  than  we  anticipated." 

"  I  have  not  come  to  remain,"  I  answered,  "although 
I  have  some  important  business.  My  cousin  is  not 
well ;  and  her  nerves  are  giving  way  as  the  day  ap- 
proaches. I  have  difficulty  in  keeping  her  courage 
up.  Like  a  woman,  she  has  some  foolish  fear  that  at 


A  Check  153 

the  last  moment  something  will  happen  to  her — some 
disaster  to  overthrow  her.  But  I  have  nearly  con- 
quered that  fear,  I  trust." 

"  How? " 

"  She  associates  the  fear  with  her  visit  here,  and  I 
have  assured  her  that  night  and  day,  every  hour  and 
every  minute,  she  herself  will  be  surrounded  by  abso- 
lutely stanch  friends  who  would  give  their  lives  for 
her=  The  death  of  her.  brother  just  at  the  moment 
when  success  seemed  to  be  within  grasp  is  frightening 
her.  Nor  is  that  unnatural,  especially  when  we  reflect 
that  her  nerves  have  again  been  strained  by  her  fa- 
ther's death." 

My  words  had  the  effect  I  desired.  It  did  not  suit 
his  plans  that  Minna  should  be  guarded  in  this  way. 

"The  Countess  is  not  ill,  I  trust,"  he  said  after  a 
pause. 

"  Oh,  no,  not  positively  ill.  But  she  is  very  young, 
and  so  full  of  alarms  that  even  I  myself  am  inclined 
at  times  to  question  the  wisdom  of  all  this. "  Perceiv- 
ing the  value  of  the  line  I  had  taken,  I  went  on  to 
make  the  most  of  it.  "  Indeed,  I  want  some  very  con- 
fidential talk  with  you.  You  understand  that  I  am 
resolved  to  go  on,  and  I  have  not  breathed  a  word  to 
suggest  to  her  that  there  is  even  an  alternative  course ; 
but  there  are  two  points  on  which  I  wish  to  consult 
you.  In  the  first  place,  is  it  quite  impracticable  to 
abandon  the  thing?  I  am  convinced  my  cousin  would 
only  too  gladly  renounce  all  claim  to  the  throne. " 

He  looked  at  me  sharply  and  with  manifest  conster- 
nation. 

"It  is  absolutely  impossible,  Prince,  absolutely,"  he 
said  emphatically.  "  But  you  are  not  in  earnest. 
Why,  it  would  be  madness,  sheer  madness  to  think  of 


154  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

such  a  thing.  Since  you  were  here  we  have  sounded 
men  in  all  directions,  and  there  is  not  one  who  is  not 
enthusiastic  at  the  idea  of  getting  rid  once  and  for  all 
of  this  madman. " 

"  But  my  cousin  can  only  make  a  weak  Queen  at  the 
best. " 

"  My  dear  Prince,  her  weakness  will  be  the  strength 
of  the  country.  Our  great  object  is  not  so  much  to 
change  the  person  of  the  ruler  as  to  break  the  tradi- 
tions of  the  ruler's  power — to  put  on  the  throne  some 
one  whose  title  will  rest,  not  on  any  right  divine,  but 
on  the  people's  power  and  will  and  choice.  A  woman 
will  thus  be  far  more  dependent  on  the  people  than  a 
man.  Prince,  the  countess  cannot  draw  back." 

"  But  supposing  she  were  willing  to  acquiesce  in  the 
election  of  the  Ostenburg  heir,  and  thus  unite  all  sec- 
tions of  the  people? ." 

"  It  is  impossible";  equally  impossible!  "  he  exclaimed 
readily.  "  It  would  be  a  betrayal  of  us  all.  It  is  not 
to  be  thought  of. " 

I  sat  as  if  thinking  this  over,  but  in  truth  this  prompt 
rejection  of  the  means  to  do  fairly  what  I  knew  he  was 
plotting  to  do  by  foul  had  filled  me  with  anger. 

"  And  what  would  be  the  immediate  consequences  of 
a  withdrawal?"  I  asked. 

"  Do  you  mean  the  personal  consequences  to  the 
countess  and  yourself?"  he  asked,  with  a  suggestion 
of  contempt  for  such  a  consideration. 

"  I  mean  to  all  concerned." 

"  What  could  but  be  the  consequences  where  three- 
fourths  of  a  nation  had  been  worked  up  to  desire  a 
revolution  and  found  themselves  cheated  at  the  last 
moment  by  the — the  timorousness  of  those  in  whose 
name  and  for  whose  sake  the  whole  movement  has  been 


A   Check  155 

carried  out?  The  badge  of  cowardice  is  a  hard  one  to 
bear,  Prince,  and  the  anger  of  a  disappointed  people 
would  not  lighten  the  disgrace. " 

"We  are  no  cowards,  Baron  Heckscher,"  I  replied 
warmly,  as  if  stung  by  his  taunt. 

"  Then  you  must  not  so  act  that  people  may  mistake 
you." 

"We  will  not,"  I  returned,  with  an  air  of  angry  de- 
cision. 

"  I  was  sure  of  it,  and  am  only  sorry  you  thought  it 
necessary  even  to  moot  the  suggestion.  But  now 
what  is  your  second  point?  Not  another  objection,  I 
hope." 

"  It  is  merely  to  discuss  with  you  the  last  arrange- 
ments. Under  the  circumstances  you  will,  I  am  sure, 
see  the  necessity  for  making  them  as  simple  as  pos- 
sible— indeed,  my  cousin's  health  will  not  permit  any- 
thing else. "  • 

"  Up  to  the  moment  of  our  great  coup  they  cannot 
possibly  be  too  simple.  Anything  else  would  be  a 
great  mistake.  Up  till  somewhere  about  midnight  of 
this  day  week,  Wednesday  next,  the  countess  is  of 
course  no  one  but  the  very  charming  young  lady  that 
I  am  assured  she  is — I  mean  she  is  a  private  person. 
In  that  capacity  she  will  attend  the  reception,  and  in 
order  that  there  may  be  no  suspicion  attaching  to  her 
making  a  public  appearance  so  soon  after  her  father's 
death  it  has  been  arranged  that  a  special  desire 
for  her  attendance  shall  be  expressed  by  the  King. 
She  will  merely  attend,  kiss  hands,  and  pass  through 
the  presence  chamber,  and  leave  the  palace  at  once, 
should  it  be  desired.  She  can  return  home  and  go  to 
the  ball,  where  she  should  be  at  about  ten  o'clock. 
She  must  be  at  hand  of  course  when  the  great  drama 


156  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

is  played  in  which  we  are  to  take  part.  When  the 
Act  of  Abdication  has  been  read,  you  will  lead  her 
forward.  That  is  all.  We  shall  do  the  rest. " 

"  And  what  will  follow  then? " 

"  I  think  she  will  stay  at  the  palace.  It  is  just  in  the 
few  hours  succeeding  that  scene  that  we  shall  have  to 
be  alert.  The  King  will  be  missing,  and  a  Council  of 
State  will  be  called  on  the  following  morning,  when 
she  will  be  proclaimed  to  the  country.  After  that, 
events  will  settle  themselves  rapidly.  We  are  pre- 
pared with  a  petition  to  the  Imperial  authorities,  which 
will  be  signed  by  nearly  every  man  of  influence  in  the 
country,  to  recognize  the  succession  and  validate  the 
abdication." 

"  But  that  Act  of  the  King  will  surely  be  found  to  be 
a  forgery?  "  I  said. 

My  companion  smiled  and  shook  his  head. 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  will  be  genuine.  We  should  not 
use  such  clumsy  means  as  forgery.  We  have  it  already 
written.  For  once  his  Majesty's  lunacy  has  done  his 
subjects  a  good  service,"  he  said  bitterly.  "  He  was 
minded  recently  to  play  a  farce  of  abdication  in  favor 
of  one  of  his  hounds,  declaring  with  his  customary  face- 
tiousness  that  the  Bavarians  were  dogs,  and  a  fit  King 
for  them  would  be  a  hound.  Accordingly  he  held  what 
he  was  pleased  to  call  a  Privy  Council — consisting  of 
himself  and  his  dogs.  But  those  about  him  knew  their 
business,  and  when  he  thought  he  had  abdicated  in 
favor  of  his  dog  they  fooled  him  to  the  top  of  his 
bent,  but  drew  the  document  in  such  a  way  that  the 
insertion  of  the  countess's  name  would  be  an  easy 
matter.  The  addition  of  a  date  will  make  everything 
complete ;  and  thus  when  the  madman  thought  he  was 
only  insulting  his  people,  he  was  in  fact  signing  away 


A  Check  157 

his  throne.  He  had  this  dog,  a  clever  poodle,  seated 
in  the  chair  in  the  Council  Chamber,  garbed  in  State 
robes,  and  crowned  with  the  crown  of  Bavaria.  I  tell 
you,  Prince,  that  one  act  would  stir  the  blood  of  even 
a  nation  of  cravens — and  we  Bavarians  are  no  cowards. 
My  blood  boils  at  the  thought,"  he  cried,  clenching  his 
fist,  while  his  eyes  flashed,  and  his  face,  usually  immo- 
bile and  cold,  lighted  up  with  the  fires  of  passion. 

I  joined  him  in  a  hot  outburst  of  indignation. 

"  But  the  time  is  past  for  mere  anger,"  he  said  pres- 
ently. "We  are  resolved  to  act;  and  that  farce  of  his 
shall  cost  him  dear.  As  to  Berlin,  so  soon  as  we  have 
driven  home  the  conviction  that  we  are  in  dead  ear- 
nest, and  that  practically  the  whole  country  is  with  us, 
there  will  be  no  opposition.  The  usual  official  intima- 
tion will  be  published  that  the  King's  health  has  failed, 
and  the  rest  follows  naturally." 

"  But  you  are  forgetting  the  Ostenburg  interest." 

"I  forget  nothing,  Prince,"  he  replied,  somewhat 
curtly.  "  I  know  the  public  feeling.  The  very  inac- 
tion they  are  showing  will  make  the  Duke  Marx  im- 
possible in  the  eyes  of  the  people.  While  the  country 
has  been  writhing  and  suffering  under  the  insults  and 
iniquities  of  this  madman,  what  have  the  Ostenburgs 
done?  Has  one  of  them  raised  a  finger  to  help  the 
people  or  protest  against  this  royal  mumming?  Has 
any  one  of  them  said  a  word?  And  how  do  you  sup- 
pose the  nation  is  to  interpret  that  silence  and  inac- 
tion, except  as  approval  of  what  has  been  done?  They 
had  the  better  right  of  succession  and  a  strong  follow- 
ing  on  their  side ;  they  have  forfeited  the  one  by  their 
apathy  and  have  lost  the  other  as  a  consequence ;  "  and 
he  went  on  to  give  many  reasons  for  this  conclusion. 

"  I  admit,"  he  said  at  the  close,  "there  will  be  some 


158  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

anxious  hours  just  after  the  Countess  Minna  is  pro- 
claimed ;  but,  with  all  the  will  in  the  world,  they  can 
do  nothing.  I  tell  you  there  is  nothing  can  stay  our 
success  nor  shake  your  cousin's  seat  on  the  throne  when 
she  has  once  taken  it. " 

I  allowed  myself  to  appear  to  share  his  convictions, 
even  while  I  marvelled  at  the  depth  of  his  duplicity, 
and  I  then  told  him  the  plan  of  our  movements.  He 
listened  closely,  and  made  several  suggestions  which 
I  said  we  would  adopt;  and  he  quite  acquiesced  in 
my  view  that  during  the  time  Minna  was  to  be  in 
Munich  she  should  remain  in  the  greatest  seclusion, 
giving  audience  only  to  himself  and  two  or  three 
others. 

When  I  left  him  my  task  in  Munich  was  practically 
finished,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned ;  but  he  advised 
me  to  attend  a  reception  at  the  palace  on  the  following 
day  but  one,  the  Friday,  and  I  agreed.  I  felt  sure  I 
had  left  the  impression  I  had  gone  to  create — that 
their  best  time  for  abducting  Minna  would  be  at  the 
moment  of  her  return  from  the  palace;  and  I  com- 
pleted my  arrangements  on  that  basis. 

Steinitz  was  waiting  for  me  at  the  hotel  with  an  im- 
portant communication  from  Praga,  giving  me  the  par- 
ticulars of  an  intended  attempt  to  carry  off  Minna  from 
Gramberg  during  the  night ;  and  though  it  seemed  to 
me  a  mad  scheme  enough,  and  pretty  certain  to  be 
abandoned  after  my  interview  with  Baron  Heckscher, 
I  despatched  Steinitz  post-haste  back  to  the  castle  to 
put  von  Krugen  on  his  guard.  Whether  it  were  aban- 
doned or  not,  the  fact  that  we  had  knowledge  of  it 
would  render  it  certain  to  fail,  and  I  felt  no  great  anxi- 
ety on  that  score. 

But  I  soon  had  cause  for  anxiety  in  another  direc- 


A  Check  159 

tion.  The  two  men  whom  I  had  asked  to  visit  Gram- 
berg  had  not  been  there,  and  we  were,  in  fact,  peri- 
lously short-handed  for  all  the  work  that  had  to  be 
done.  I  was  the  more  anxious,  too,  to  get  extra  help 
because  of  a  weak  spot  in  my  plans,  which  I  could  not 
remedy  without  further  assistance. 

If  the  Ostenburg  agents  held  the  person  of  the  King, 
and  I  checkmated  them  at  the  last  moment  by  produc- 
ing Minna  and  keeping  their  duke  in  confinement,  there 
was  a  chance  that  they  might  counter  my  stroke  by 
bringing  the  mad  King  back  on  the  scene,  and  thus 
checkmate  me  in  turn.  The  only  means  of  prevent- 
ing this  would  be  to  secure  that  those  who  held  the 
King  in  custody  should  be  loyal  to  Minna ;  and  it  was 
for  this  part  of  the  scheme  that  I  had  hoped  to  make 
use  of  the  two  men,  Kummell  and  Beilager.  I  set  out 
to  find  them,  therefore. 

I  chanced  upon  them  together  at  the  house  of  Kum- 
mell, and  it  did  not  take  me  a  minute  to  perceive  that 
there  was  a  decided  restraint  in  their  manner  toward 
me.  I  had  meant  to  be  perfectly  frank  with  them, 
telling  them,  indeed,  all  I  knew;  but  their  attitude 
made  this  impossible,  and  for  a  moment  I  was  at  a 
loss  what  line  to  take.  While  gaining  time  to  think, 
I  talked  at  large  upon  the  importance  of  the  affair  gen- 
erally, and  at  length  asked  them  point-blank  why  they 
had  not  been  to  Gramberg. 

"We  have  been  very  busy,"  replied  Kummell,  who 
spoke  for  both;  and  the  answer  was  rather  curtly 
given. 

"  Scarcely  a  sufficient  reason,  gentlemen,  in  an  affair 
of  this  sort,"  I  replied  in  quite  as  curt  a  tone,  "nor,  I 
presume,  the  only  one." 

They  hesitated,  and  glanced  at  one  another. 


160  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  think  you  must  excuse  us  if  we  do  not  answer  the 
question.  In  point  of  fact,  I  am  not  yet  in  a  position 
to  do  so." 

"  I  cannot  understand  you,  and,  under  the  circum- 
stances, I  must  really  press  you  very  closely  to  be 
frank  with  me,"  I  urged;  and,  although  they  still  hesi- 
tated and  equivocated,  I  was  resolved  not  to  leave  with- 
out an  answer,  and  I  told  them  as  much. 

"  You  put  us  in  a  very  awkward  position,  indeed,  but 
the  fact  is  we  had  intended  to  make  the  visit,  and  had 
fixed  the  day,  when  we  were  advised  not  to  do  so  by 
Herr  Bock." 

"And  who  is  Herr  Bock,  pray?  " 

So  utterly  unsuspicious  was  I  of  any  possible  mis- 
chief that  I  put  a  good  deal  of  indignation  into  the 
question.  Yet  it  was  a  blunder  of  the  grossest  kind, 
and  the  reply  astounded  me  utterly. 

"  Herr  Bock  is  your  own  lawyer,  who  has  been  nego- 
tiating the  sale  to  me  of  your  late  mother's  property." 

That  confounded  property  again ! 

My  four  years'  training  on  the  stage  stood  me  in 
good  stead  now,  and  I  masked  my  surprise  with  a 
laugh  as  I  exclaimed: 

"Oh,  that  Bock!  I  did  not  know  it  was  you  who 
were  contemplating  a  purchase.  But  why  should  that 
keep  you  away  from  Gramberg?  Were  you  afraid 
that  a  look  at  the  property  would  put  you  out  of  con- 
ceit with  the  bargain,  or  that  I  should  charge  you 
more,  thinking  you  were  growing  eager?" 

But  there  was  more  in  this  than  a  laugh  could  carry 
off. 

"  No,  but  he  has  been  in  communication  with  your 
old  family  lawyer,  and  together  they  say  or  think  they 
are  on  the  track  of  some  kind  of  strange  complication 


A  Check  161 

which  I  believe  in  some  way  touches  yourself;  how  I 
do  not  know,  but  Bock  advised  me  to  wait." 

"This  has  a  somewhat  serious  sound,  sir,"  I  said, 
sternly  enough  to  cover  my  apprehension. 

"  I  cannot  help  that.  You  asked  me,  pressed  me, 
indeed,  for  an  answer  to  your  question.  In  times  like 
these  you  will  understand  I  feel  great  need  to  be  cau- 
tious— overcautious  perhaps  you  may  deem  it.  But 
still  here  it  is. " 

"  And  what  is  the  nature  of  this  supposed  ridiculous 
complication?" 

"  You  must  excuse  me  if  I  say  no  more.  You  know 
Herr  Bock's  address  here  in  Munich." 

The  scent  was  getting  warm. 

"I  shall  of  course  see  him,"  I  answered  readily. 
"And  I  will  find  a  short  method  of  dealing  with  a 
couple  of  meddlesome  attorneys  as  soon  as  this  busi- 
ness of  next  week  is  through.  And  what  then  do  you 
propose  to  do? " 

"  I  think  we  had  better  not  discuss  any  matters  ex- 
cept in  the  presence  of  Baron  Heckscher." 

I  rose  to  leave.  I  had  met  with  my  first  serious 
check. 

"  I  thought  I  could  have  relied  implicitly  upon  your 
loyalty  to  the  House  of  Gramberg,"  I  said  loftily. 

"To  the  House  of  Gramberg,  yes,"  was  the  answer, 
stolidly  spoken,  yet  with  a  significance  I  could  not 
mistake. 

I  went  back  to  my  hotel  angry  and  apprehensive.  I 
could  have  twisted  von  Fromberg's  neck  for  his  mal- 
adroitness  in  hurrying  to  sell  his  property,  and  then 
getting  beyond  my  reach  and  keeping  there. 

Moreover,  I  could  not  see  what  to  do.  These  two 
bungling  old  fools  of  lawyers  had  no  doubt  been  com- 
ii 


1 62  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

paring  notes,  and  probably  comparing  the  different 
handwritings  of  von  Fromberg  and  myself ;  and  had 
hatched  a  pretty  cock-and-bull  story  about  me.  Prob- 
ably they  were  already  making  all  sorts  of  inquiries. 
Yet  I  dared  not  go  and  face  the  man  Bock.  I  could 
not  tell  if  he  had  ever  seen  von  Fromberg.  If  he  had, 
he  would  proclaim  me  an  impostor  straight  away ;  and 
Heaven  only  knew  what  the  consequences  of  such  a 
step  would  be  at  such  a  time. 

On  the  other  hand  the  two  men  I  had  just  left  were 
obviously  suspicious  of  me.  Knowing  nothing  of  the 
double  plot,  it  was  as  likely  as  not  that  they  viewed 
me  as  some  kind  of  spy  and  traitor,  either  from  the 
mad  King's  party  or  the  Ostenburgs;  and  they  would 
go  blabbing  their  suspicions  to  every  one  else.  And 
all  through  that  greedy  renegade  von  Fromberg. 

I  paced  my  room  like  a  caged  beast,  searching  every 
nook  and  cranny  of  my  mind  for  some  device  to  stop 
these  fools  of  lawyers.  Everything  might  be  jeopard- 
ized. This  pair  of  blundering  meddlers  might  even 
now  be  in  Charmes,  and  face  to  face  with  the  real 
man ;  and  the  truth  might  come  flashing  over  the  wires 
at  any  moment. 

But  all  my  anger  brought  me  no  nearer  a  solution. 
There  was  just  one  chance — that  von  Fromberg  might 
stay  away  on  his  honeymoon  long  enough  to  get  us 
over  the  business  of  the  next  week,  and  to  that  fragile 
reed  I  must  trust.  Certainly  I  myself  must  not  take 
the  time  necessary  to  go  to  Charmes,  and  as  certainly 
there  was  no  one  I  could  trust  with  the  secret.  There 
was  nothing  for  it,  therefore,  but  to  wait,  and  be  re- 
solved to  fight  when  the  time  came. 

I  was  in  this  state  of  excitement  when  a  servant 
came  and  said  a  lady  wished  to  see  me. 


A   Check  163 

"A  lady?"  I  cried  in  astonishment.  "What  is  her 
name?  It  must  be  a  mistake.  There  can  be  no 
one Stay;  show  her  up,"  I  broke  off,  for  it  oc- 
curred to  me  that  after  all  there  might  be  some  one 
with  information  to  give  or  sell;  or,  perhaps,  a  mes- 
senger from  Praga.  It  would  do  no  harm  to  see  her. 

She  came  in  very  closely  veiled,  and  very  beauti- 
fully, if  very  showily,  dressed. 

"  You  wish  to  see  me,  madam?    What  is  your  name? " 

She  stood  silent  until  the  servant  had  left  the  room ; 
and  I  looked  at  her  with  considerable  curiosity. 

"  So  you  are  the  Prince  von  Gramberg.  I  trust  your 
Highness  is  in  excellent  health. " 

Despite  the  mocking  accent,  I  could  recognize  the 
voice,  though  I  could  not  recall  the  speaker.  It  was 
certainly  no  one  whom  I  ought  to  have  known  as  the 
Prince  von  Gramberg,  and  I  accordingly  made  ready 
for  another  unpleasant  surprise. 

"  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  recall  your  name.  I  think  I 
have  heard  your  voice;  it  is  too  sweet  to  forget." 

It  is  never  wrong  to  flatter  a  woman. 

My  visitor  stamped  her  foot  angrily. 

"Yes,  you  know  my  voice,  and  used  to  like  to 
hear  it." 

The  little  impatient  angry  gesture  told  me  who  she 
was — Clara  Weylin,  the  actress,  who  had  pestered  my 
life  out  at  Frankfort  and  had  vowed  to  be  revenged  on 
me  for  slighting  her. 

I  wondered  what  particular  strain  of  ill  luck  had 
brought  her  across  my  path  at  this  juncture,  and  I 
wished  her  and  her  pretty  face  and  sweet  voice  at  the 
other  end  of  the  earth. 

The  coils  were  indeed  drawing  closer  round  me. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

THE    ABDUCTION 

FOR  another  week  at  least  I  dared  not  make  an 
enemy  of  my  altogether  unexpected  and  vastly  unwel- 
come visitor,  so  I  answered  her  with  a  smile,  and  went 
to  greet  her  with  outstretched  hand,  as  though  glad 
enough  to  renew  our  old  acquaintance. 

"I  know  you  now,"  I  said  cordially.  "Of  course  it 
is  my  old  friend  and  comrade  Clara  Weylin.  This  is 
an  unexpected  pleasure,"  said  I  warmly. 

But  she  stepped  back,  and  did  not  take  my  hand. 

"  Unexpected,  no  doubt ;  but  pleasure,  scarcely. 
You  were  not  much  of  an  actor  at  any  time ;  but  that 
would  not  take  in  a  fool.  You  are  very  much  astonished 
to  see  me,  and  equally  angry;  so  you  may  as  well 
acknowledge  it." 

She  tapped  her  foot  again  angrily.  Next  she  re- 
moved an  outer  veil,  which  she  had  of  course  put  on 
to  mystify  me  on  her  entrance ;  and  she  stood  staring 
me  in  the  face  with  a  look  of  defiant  hostility. 

I  shrugged  my  shoulders,  and  said : 

"  You  are  always  more  beautiful  in  a  passion,  Clara ; 
but  I'm  sorry  to  find  you  in  one  now  with  me.  Won't 
you  sit  down  and  tell  me  all  about  yourself? " 

And  I  recalled  regretfully  our  last  interview,  and 
bitterly  deplored  my  stupidity  in  not  having  answered 
her  letter.  An  angry  woman,  knowing  what  she  knew, 
could  do  no  end  of  mischief  at  this  juncture. 


The  Abduction  165 

"  The  chief  thing-  about  myself,  as  you  say,"  she  ex- 
claimed spitefully,  "is  that  my  feelings  toward  you 
have  changed.  I  was  your  friend  then,  now  I  will  be 
your  enemy.'1 

"  Then  I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it " — and  the  tone 
was  genuine  enough.  "  But,  under  the  circum- 
stances, why  take  the  trouble  to  come  and  tell  me 
so?" 

"  Because  I  wished  to  see  your  Highness,  to  observe 
how  your  Highness  bore  your  great  honors,  and  to 
bask  in  the  radiant  light  of  your  Highness 's  eyes — 
ugh !  Your  Highness,  indeed !  " 

I  began  to  hope.  Her  bitterness  was  so  very  bitter 
that  I  thought  some  of  it  at  least  might  be  assumed. 

"  How  do  you  play  at  that  game,  Clara?  "  I  laughed. 
"  While  you  are  '  basking,'  what  should  I  do? " 

"  Not  flatter  me  with  lies  about  being  glad  to  see 
me,"  she  burst  out  angrily,  "when  you  would  rather 
have  seen  the  devil." 

"  I  won't  go  so  far  as  that,"  said  I  lightly.  "  I  don't 
admire  the  devil,  and  I  always  did  admire  you,  though, 
if  you  wish  me  to  be  candid,  I  would  much  rather  have 
seen  you  at  another  time." 

"Perhaps  after  you  are  married,"  she  cried,  with  a 
vicious  glance. 

"I  did  not  say  I  wished  never  to  see  you  again,"  I 
returned. 

"  You  used  not  to  lie  even  by  implication  in  the  old 
days,"  she  said,  showing  she  understood  me. 

"  Nor  you  to  insult  me  without  implication,"  I  re- 
torted. "  But  I  wish  you  would  sit  down.  It  is  just 
as  easy  to  be  an  enemy  sitting  as  standing. " 

She  sat  down,  and  I  thought  her  expression  was  a 
little  less  wrathful. 


1 66  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Now,  then,  just  tell  me  plainly  why  you  think  it 
worth  while  to  come  here,  why  you  are  such  an  enemy, 
and  what  particular  injury  you  think  and  wish  to  do 
me?" 

"Much  more  than  you  seem  to  imagine,"  she  ex- 
claimed sharply,  her  eyes  flashing  again. 

The  answer  pleased  me,  for  it  seemed  to  show  that 
I  was  successfully  concealing  the  alarm  which  her  visit 
had  caused.  Certainly  I  must  not  let  her  have  an  in- 
kling of  the  fact  that  she  could  really  do  any  harm. 

;<  You  are  a  most  incomprehensible  creature,  my 
dear  Clara.  During  the  years  I  knew  you  I  paid  you 
as  high  a  compliment  as  a  man  can  pay  a  woman — by 
holding  you  in  the  highest  esteem  and  entertaining  for 
you  the  most  honorable  admiration.  And  you  repay 
it — by  this." 

"You  flouted  and  laughed  at  me  and  scorned  me," 
she  cried  vehemently. 

"  You  mean  I  did  not  make  love  to  you.  Let  us  be 
frank  with  one  another.  Being  what  I  was,  I  could 
not  make  love  to  you  honorably ;  and  because  I  held 
you  in  too  high  esteem  to  do  so  dishonorably  will  you 
say  I  scorned  you?  " 

"  Your  Highness  kept  the  fact  of  your  noble  birth 
very  secret,"  she  snapped,  with  an  accent  on  the  "  high- 
ness "  I  did  not  like. 

I  began  to  fear  how  much  she  knew. 

"  I  had  the  strongest  reasons,  but  it  was  not  done  to 
make  so  clever  a  woman  as  yourself  my  enemy. " 

"  Then  you  succeeded  unwittingly.  One  of  the  pre- 
rogatives of  your  sudden  and  unexpected  inheritance." 

"Well,  we  are  fighting  the  air — an  unprofitable 
waste  of  effort.  If  you  won't  tell  me,  as  a  friend, 
anything  about  yourself,  then,  as  an  enemy,  tell  me 


The  Abduction  167 

in  what  way  I  can  oblige  you  by  letting  you  injure 
me? " 

She  laughed  unpleasantly. 

"  So  you  are  not  altogether  free  from  alarm  that  I 
can  injure  you?  You  are  right;  I  can.' 

"All  Munich  is  open  to  you,"  I  answered,  with  a 
show  of  indifference. 

"  Why  do  you  want  my  Duke  Marx  lured  out  of  the 
way  next  Wednesday? :; 

She  dealt  the  thrust  so  sharply  and  watched  me  so 
keenly  that  I  marvelled  at  my  own  self-control  in  hid- 
ing all  sign  of  my  consternation. 

"  Who  is  your  Duke  Marx,  and  what  on  earth  do 
you  mean?  '  I  asked,  my  wits  busy  with  the  thoughts 
which  the  question  started. 

If  she  was  the  decoy  on  whom  Praga  relied,  she  was 
in  love  with  him,  and  her  motive  in  coming  to  me  was 
just  sheer  revenge  and  woman's  rage.  She  held  the 
very  kernel  of  my  scheme  in  her  hands,  and  could 
blight  it  in  a  moment,  revealing  everything  to  the 
other  side.  Perhaps  she  had  done  so  already.  What 
a  fool  Praga  had  been  to  trust  such  a  woman !  And 
yet  how  was  I  to  gauge  the  power  and  extent  of  her 
love  for  him,  and  say  to  what  it  might  not  drive  her? 
All  this  rushed  through  my  head  to  the  accompani- 
ment of  the  soft,  musical,  mocking  laugh  with  which 
she  greeted  my  question. 

"  I  thought  you  did  not  lie  by  implication,"  she  said. 

"I  thought  so,  too,"  I  answered,  speaking  at  ran- 
dom, and  waiting  for  a  cue  from  her. 

"  You  are  a  clever  man,  Prince — if  Prince  you  really 
are,  and  not  merely  a  daring  adventurer — but  you  have 
left  out  of  your  calculations  what  a  woman's  revenge 
may  do." 


1 68  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  My  dear  Clara,  we  all  expect  the  unexpected  in  a 
way,  and  never  prepare  for  it."  I  rose  from  my  chair 
as  if  to  close  the  interview.  "  Whatever  you  wish  to 
do,  please  go  at  once  and  do  it." 

"I  will,"  she  replied,  rising  also  and  going  to  the 
door. 

If  she  left  the  room  the  plan  would  be  at  an  end.  I 
felt  that,  and  I  would  have  given  all  I  had  in  the  world 
to  feel  able  to  stop  her.  But  I  dared  not  show  a  sign 
of  weakness.  I  should  be  in  her  power  forever,  and 
the  scheme  would  be  wrecked  that  way. 

I  held  the  door  open  for  her,  keeping  my  face  set 
and  expressionless. 

At  the  door  she  turned  and  looked  at  me,  right  into 
my  eyes,  when  our  faces  were  within  a  few  inches  of 
one  another. 

u  You  will  be  sorry  for  this!"  she  cried,  almost  be- 
tween her  teeth. 

"  I  never  regret  my  decisions,  except  as  they  injure 
others,"  I  replied  coldly. 

She  started,  and  stamped  her  foot,  and  still  stood 
staring  hard  at  me.  I  thought  I  knew  the  struggle 
that  was  shaking  her.  It  was  a  fight  whether  her  old 
hate  for  me  or  her  new  love  for  Praga  was  the  stronger. 
Her  excitement  and  passion  increased  with  every  sec- 
ond that  the  contest  endured. 

•'  I  hate  you!  "  she  cried  vehemently.  "  I  hate  yon, 
and  I  can  ruin  you !  " 

I  made  no  sign  of  having  even  heard  the  words.  I 
thought  she  was  going,  when  suddenly  her  love  gained 
a  sweeping  victory. 

With  impetuous  force  she  wrenched  the  door  from 
me,  and  slammed  it  to  with  great  violence,  and  seemed 
almost  as  if  she  would  strike  me  in  the  face. 


The  Abduction  169 

"You  are  a  coward  and  a  bully!"  she  exclaimed 
hysterically.  "You  only  act  like  this  because  you 
know  I  dare  not  do  what  is  in  my  power. " 

Then  she  turned  and  rushed  back  to  her  seat,  where 
he  covered  her  face  and  burst  into  a  storm  of  passion- 
ate tears. 

I  took  a  curious  course.  I  left  the  room.  I  did  not 
wish  her  to  think  I  had  been  gloating  over  her  defeat. 
I  scribbled  a  hasty  note  that  I  had  been  called  away, 
and  should  be  glad  to  see  her  another  time,  and  left 
this  to  be  given  to  her. 

This  interview  had  the  necessary  effect  of  increasing 
my  uneasiness  materially.  Each  day  seemed  now  to 
be  revealing  a  fresh  weak  spot,  and  the  chances  of  fail- 
ure were  growing  fast.  Now  it  was  not  only  the  failure 
of  the  plot  that  threatened  us,  but  the  disgrace  of  per- 
sonal exposure.  • 

I  had  had  no  dishonorable  motives  in  the  persona- 
tion of  the  Prince  von  Gramberg;  but  the  consequences 
threatened  to  be  entirely  embarrassing,  and,  had  there 
been  no  one  else  to  consider  but  myself,  I  should  have 
thrown  the  thing  up  there  and  then.  But  there  was 
Minna,  and  her  helpless  and  precarious  position  made 
retreat,  on  my  part,  quite  impossible.  It  would  be 
dishonorable  to  think  of  myself  at  such  a  time,  while 
every  chivalrous  instinct  in  my  nature  made  me  keenly 
anxious  to  secure  her  safety. 

But  I  must  see  Praga,  and  hear  from  him  precisely 
how  matters  stood  in  regard  to  Clara  Weylin,  and  how 
far  she  was  likely  to  betray  us.  With  much  difficulty, 
and  in  the  face  of  considerable  risk  of  my  communica- 
tions with  the  Corsican  being  discovered,  I  succeeded 
in  getting  the  interview  with  him.  He  came  to  my 
hotel  disguised,  and  after  much  trouble  in  shaking  off 


170  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

the  spies,  who,  he  declared,  were  now  always  dogging 
his  footsteps. 

Matters  were  as  I  had  surmised.  The  actress  was 
in  love  with  him,  and  they  were  to  be  married.  They 
had  played  often  in  Munich,  and  the  Duke  Marx  von 
Ostenburg  had  become  infatuated  with  her.  He  was 
persecuting  her  with  proposals,  and  was  in  that  calf 
stage  in  which  he  would  do  anything,  and  risk  any- 
thing, at  her  mere  bidding.  There  was  not  the  least 
doubt  in  the  world,  declared  Praga,  that  the  woman 
could  lure  him  anywhere  she  pleased  with  such  a  bait 
as  she  would  pretend  to  offer.  The  two  had,  indeed, 
concocted  a  pretty  little  scheme  between  them,  in 
while  she  and  the  duke  were  to  be  together,  Praga,  as 
the  injured  lover,  was  to  interrupt  them.  Then  they 
calculated  that  the  duke,  to  save  his  skin — for  his 
courage  was  not  of  very  high  quality — would  consent 
to  do  anything  that  might  be  demanded. 

The  actress  had  come  to  Munich  to  put  the  matter 
in  course,  and,  hearing  of  me  only  incidentally  as  the 
Prince  von  Gramberg,  she  had  no  suspicion  that  I  was 
in  reality  the  Heinrich  Fischer  against  whom  she  had  al- 
ways nurtured  her  revenge,  until  a  chance  meeting  with 
me  in  the  street  had  revealed  this  to  her. 

I  told  him,  of  course,  all  that  had  passed  between  us, 
and  questioned  him  closely  as  to  what  she  was  now 
likely  to  do.  He  declared  his  readiness  to  answer  for 
her  as  for  himself ;  and  I  had  no  alternative  but  to  be 
contented  with  that  pledge.  Then  we  discussed  many 
other  points  of  the  plan,  and  so  arranged  that  there 
need  not  be  another  interview,  unless  unforeseen  mis- 
haps arose. 

Before  he  left  my  momentary  hesitation  had  passed, 
and  I  resolved  to  go  on,  and  to  trust  to  my  wits  to  get 


The  Abduction  171 

out  of  any  awkward  consequences  that  might  come. 
But  those  few  days  in  Munich  were  among  the  most 
trying  of  any  in  my  life.  I  passed  them  in  a  fever  of 
suspense,  anticipating  all  sorts  of  trouble ;  constantly 
on  my  guard ;  suspecting  every  one  with  whom  I  came 
in  contact ;  and  in  such  a  condition  of  strain  and  ten- 
sion that,  when  I  returned  to  Gramberg  to  fetch 
Minna,  she  could  not  but  notice  with  deep  concern 
how  worn  and  anxious  I  looked. 

"This  is  wearing  you  out,  cousin  Hans,"  she  said 
very  gently.  "  You  look  more  like  a  student  now,  and 
one  who  has  been  burning  far  too  much  midnight  oil. " 

"  There  are  only  two  or  three  days  now,  and  then 
the  worst  will  be  over,"  I  replied  cheerfully;  but  I 
would  have  given  the  world  to  have  been  able  to  tell 
her  what  was  my  chief  anxiety.  "  Munich  does  not 
agree  with  me,  I  think." 

She  looked  at  me  searchingly. 

"  Is  it  that  secret  of  yours? "  she  asked  quietly. 
"  When  will  you  share  it  with  me?  " 

"Probably  after  Wednesday,"  I  answered,  smiling. 
"  But  you  will  believe  me  loyal  to  you  whether  you 
hear  it  or  not?  " 

"  Loyal  ?  A  quick  way  to  make  me  an  enemy  would 
be  for  any  one  to  hint  the  contrary. " 

"  You  may  have  your  faith  tested  yet." 

"Does  the  secret  concern  me,  then?"  she  asked 
quickly,  adding,  with  a  smile,  "  I  think  I  am  glad  if 
it  does.  I  thought " 

And  she  stopped.  I  hoped  I  could  guess  the 
thought. 

"  It  touches  the  whole  question  of  my  loyalty  to  you 
and  my  presence  here. " 

"  Then  I  do  not  want  to  hear  it.     I  would  trust  you 


172  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

if  the  whole  world  turned  against  you,  and  sought  to 
turn  me  also.  I  do  not  care  now  what  it  may  be,"  she 
said  earnestly,  so  earnestly  that  she  brought  the  color 
in  a  great  rush  to  my  face,  and  while  still  flushed  in 
this  way  she  asked :  "  You  do  not  think  anything  could 
shake  me?" 

"No,  I  do  not,"  and  my  love  was  very  near  declar- 
ing itself  as  I  spoke. 

On  the  journey  to  Munich  her  manner  to  me  was  so 
gentle,  and  tender,  and  confiding  that  I  scarcely  ven- 
tured to  look  at  her  lest  she  shoiild  read  in  my  eyes 
the  later  secret  that  I  was  now  guarding  even  more 
jealously  than  the  former ;  and  in  Munich  I  would  not 
trust  myself  to  be  alone  with  her  during  the  day  and 
a  half  that  preceded  the  ball. 

We  stayed  in  the  large  mansion  in  the  middle  of  the 
town  that  now  belonged  to  her  and  had  been  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  Prince ;  and  while  there  we  carried 
out  to  the  letter  the  plans  I  had  arranged. 

Only  a  few  persons  came  to  see  Minna — Baron  Heck- 
scher  and  one  or  two  others.  Von  Nauheim  called, 
but  she  refused  to  see  him,  pleading  illness. 

During  the  whole  of  that  time  we  kept  the  strictest 
and  closest  guard  over  her,  watching  vigilantly  day 
and  night.  The  house  might  have  been  in  a  state  of 
siege,  indeed.  But  no  attempt  was  made  to  approach 
her,  and  I  gathered  therefore  that  the  other  side  had 
taken  my  bait  and  had  chosen  the  moment  for  their 
attempt  which  I  wished. 

The  maid  who  was  to  personate  her  on  the  return 
ride  from  the  reception  was  coached  and  drilled  in 
every  particular  of  her  part ;  and  every  detail  even  of 
dress  was  most  carefully  considered  and  decided. 

I  began  to  feel  that  after  all  my  fears  had  been  pre- 


The  Abduction  173 

\ 

mature,  for  not  a  hint  or  suggestion  was  dropped  any- 
where to  show  that  any  further  discovery  about  myself 
had  been  made.  But  none  the  less  I  was  in  a  condi- 
tion of  much  inward  concern  when  we  started  for  the 
reception  at  the  palace,  Minna,  the  Baroness  Gratz, 
and  myself  being  in  the  carriage. 

Everything  went  without  a  hitch,  however.  I  was 
in  the  presence  chamber  when  Minna  kissed  hands, 
and  it  was  with  a  feeling  of  genuine  pleasure  that  I 
noticed  almost  immediately  afterward  Baron  Heck- 
scher  making  his  way  to  me.  He  came  up  and  en- 
gaged me  in  conversation,  and  I  knew  that  his  object 
was  to  keep  me  occupied  so  that  Minna  would  leave 
the  palace  without  my  escort.  I  raised  no  difficulty ; 
and  entered  into  a  vigorous  argument  with  him  on 
some  point  about  which  I  knew  little  and  cared  less. 

When  he  thought  he  had  kept  me  long  enough  to 
serve  his  purpose  he  left  me  and  I  strolled  slowly 
through  the  magnificent  rooms,  taking  heed  of  the 
many  quick  glances  directed  at  me ;  and  I  walked  out 
to  the  entrance  hall.  I  wasted  a  little  more  time  there 
before  I  told  the  servants  to  call  my  carriage  and  in- 
quire for  my  cousin. 

More  minutes  passed,  and  presently  they  came  and 
told  me  my  carriage  had  already  gone  and  the  Coun- 
tess Minna  in  it.  I  made  a  show  of  annoyance  at  this ; 
and  then  some  one  came  forward  with  the  offer  of  his 
carriage.  I  declined  it,  of  course.  Now  that  they  be- 
lieved they  had  Minna,  I  might  look  for  an  attack  on 
myself  at  any  moment. 

I  had  told  von  Krugen  to  be  ready  in  the  lobbies  to 
watch  for  Minna  in  her  changed  dress  and  to  see  that 
she  reached  home  safely  and  secretly ;  for  we  had  de- 
termined that  after  all  it  would  be  best  for  her  to 


174  A.   Dash  for  a  Throne 

return  in  her  disguise  to  the  Gramberg  house  rather 
than  go  to  any  other  place.  As  I  could  see  no  trace 
of  him  anywhere,  I  concluded  Minna  had  already  gone, 
and  I  set  out  on  foot. 

I  was  very  anxious,  of  course,  to  learn  the  result  of 
the  plan,  and  it  was  with  infinite  satisfaction  that  I 
met  von  Krugen  and  learned  from  him  that  Minna  was 
safe  in  the  house,  and  that  the  carriage  with  the  Bar- 
oness Gratz  and  the  servant  had  not  returned. 

The  next  thing  was  to  simulate  our  agitation  on 
account  of  Minna's  supposed  absence;  and  my  task 
was  to  find  von  Nauheim  and  keep  him  under  such 
observation  as  would  prevent  his  getting  to  see  the 
girl  who  had  been  carried  off  in  Minna's  place,  and  so 
find  out  the  trick  we  had  played. 

After  waiting  half  an  hour  I  changed  my  Court 
dress,  took  my  sword-stick,  thrust  my  revolver  into 
my  pocket,  for  I  did  not  know  what  I  might  have  to 
face,  and  set  out. 


CHAPTER  XV 

A    TREACHEROUS    ATTACK 

IT  was  not  until  I  was  being  driven  to  von  Nauheim's 
house  that  I  saw  a  blunder  in  my  plan.  I  ought  not 
to  have  left  the  palace  at  all,  nor  to  have  allowed  von 
Nauheim  to  be  for  one  moment  out  of  my  sight.  I 
had  seen  him  while  I  was  in  conversation  with  the 
baron ;  and  he  had,  indeed,  appeared  to  keep  near  me 
ostentatiously.  This  I  attributed  to  his  wish  to  make 
me  dissociate  him  from  the  attempt  on  Minna;  and  I 
knew  he  was  at  the  palace  when  I  left.  But  he  had 
now  had  half  an  hour's  grace,  and  it  was  obvious  that 
1  might  have  trouble  in  finding  him,  and,  further,  that 
he  might  use  the  time  to  get  to  see  Minna's  double, 
supposing  she  had  not  been  carried  too  far  away. 
My  suspense  during  the  short  drive  was  very  keen. 
While  all  was  going  so  well,  I  myself  had  endan- 
gered the  whole  scheme  by  this  act  of  incredible 
shortsightedness.  But  at  his  house  I  was  relieved. 
When  I  inquired  for  him,  the  servant  told  me  he  was  at 
home. 

"Has  he  been  long  back  from  the  palace?"  I  asked 
indifferently. 

"Not  very  long,  your  Highness;  about  half  an 
hour,"  said  the  man. 

I  breathed  freely  once  more.  It  was  better  luck 
than  I  had  deserved. 

"  Show  me  to  him  at  once,"  I  said  sharply. 


176  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

The  room  was  empty  when  I  entered,  and  the  man 
explained  that  his  master  was  dressing,  and  that  he 
would  announce  my  visit.  Suspicious  of  trickery  in 
even  small  things,  I  kept  the  room  door  open  lest  von 
Nauheim  should  attempt  to  slip  away  while  I  was  shut 
up  inside  it.  But  he  made  no  attempt  of  the  sort,  and 
after  keeping  me  waiting  long  enough  to  try  my  pa- 
tience he  came  in  smiling  and  wearing  an  air  of  inso- 
lent triumph. 

"  Ah,  Prince,  so  you've  come  to  pay  me  a  visit,  eh? 
I  thought  you  were  never  going  to  enter  my  doors 
again.  My  man  told  me  it  was  urgent  business,  too. 
You  look  a  bit  out  of  sorts.  What's  up? " 

"I  come  with  very  serious  news,"  I  said. 

"Egad,  you  look  it,  too,"  he  broke  in.  "What's  the 
matter? " 

"That  our  whole  scheme  has  fallen  through.  My 
cousin,  I  have  every  reason  to  fear,  has  been  carried 
off  by  the  Ostenburg  agents." 

"Carried  off  by  the  Ostenburgs!  why,  man,  what 
nonsense  is  this? "  he  cried,  with  an  air  of  incredulity. 
"  Half  an  hour  ago  she  was  kissing  that  lunatic's 
hand." 

"Nevertheless  what  I  say  is  true.  When  she  left 
the  throne-room  she  and  the  Baroness  Grata  entered 
the  carriage  to  return  home,  and  the  carriage  has  never 
reached  the  house.  I  cannot  account  for  it,"  I  cried, 
as  if  amazed  and  baffled.  "  That  is  the  only  moment 
she  has  not  been  under  the  strictest  guard  and  watch. 
But  she  has  gone,  and  what  can  it  mean  but  that  they 
have  got  her? '; 

"  You  mean  to  say  you  were  so  foolish  as  to  let  her 
drive  through  Munich  alone,  or,  rather,  with  no  one 
but  a  silly  old  woman  with  her,  on  a  day  like  this,  and 


A  Treacherous  Attack  177 

at  such  a  crisis.  Well,  you  took  the  responsibility  of 
guarding  her,  and  must  put  up  with  the  consequences. 
But  I  can't  believe  it." 

"The  thing  is  just  as  I  say,"  I  answered,  watching 
him  closely. 

He  pretended  to  think,  then  he  shook  his  head  and 
replied : 

"  You  must  have  jumped  to  a  wrong  conclusion  alto- 
gether. The  thing's  monstrous.  I  expect  she's  just 
ordered  the  coachman  to  drive  about  the  city  a  bit  to 
show  off  her  fine  clothes,  and  is  back  by  this  time." 

"  You  know  her  too  well  to  think  anything  of  the 
sort.  She  has  a  very  clear  knowledge  of  the  dangers 
surrounding  her." 

"Then  you  shouldn't  have  taken  her  out  of  my  con- 
trol. And  why  do  you  come  to  me?  The  last  time 
you  were  here  you  made  quite  a  theatrical  scene,  after 
which  you  and  I  were  to  be  strangers,  I  thought.  Why, 
then,  come  to  me  now?  " 

"  You  have  an  even  closer  interest  in  this  part  of  the 
plot  than  any  one  else.  She  is  your  promised  wife ;  and 
it  was  my  duty  to  acquaint  you  first  with  what  had 
happened,  and  get  your  assistance  in  any  search  to  be 
made." 

"  You're  wonderfully  mindful  of  your  duty  all  of  a 
sudden,"  he  sneered.  "  Now  that  you've  got  us  into 
this  mess,  you  come  whining  to  me  to  get  you  out 
of  it." 

"I've  come  out  of  no  regard  for  you,"  I  answered 
warmly. 

"  You've  come  quite  as  willingly  as  I  welcome  you. 
Believe  that.  And  what  do  you  want  me  to  do? " 

"  You  had  better  join  with  me  in  searching  for  her." 

"  Thank  you — for  less  than  nothing.     I  am  to  be  put 

12 


^ 

178  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

to  the  trouble  of  trying  to  find  her  in  order  that  you 
may  once  more  have  the  pleasure  of  keeping  her  away 
from  me.  I  think  you  had  better  go  and  do  your  own 
spy-work. " 

We  were  each  deceiving  the  other,  though  I  had  the 
clew  to  his  attitude,  and  we  were  both  wasting  time  in 
quarrelling  which,  had  we  been  in  earnest,  we  should 
have  been  only  too  eager  to  spend  in  the  search.  My 
motive  was  of  course  so  to  occupy  his  time  that  he 
would  have  no  time  to  go  to  the  girl ;  and  his  object 
was  to  keep  me  as  long  as  possible  from  making  in- 
quiries to  trace  Minna.  I  let  him  appear  to  have  his 
way,  and  we  spent  over  an  hour  wrangling,  disputing, 
and  recriminating. 

At  last  he  exclaimed  that  it  was  no  use  for  us  to 
quarrel ;  we  had  better  go  and  tell  the  news  to  Baron 
Heckscher  and  consult  him.  So  long  as  we  remained 
together,  I  did  not  care  where  we  went  nor  whom  we 
saw ;  and  after  he  had  occupied  a  very  long  time  in 
changing  his  dress  again — time  wasted  purposely,  of 
course — we  drove  to  the  baron's  house. 

He  was  a  far  better  actor  than  von  Nauheim,  and 
his  consternation  and  anger  were  excellently  assumed. 

"  It  is  ruin  to  everything.  How  could  you  allow  it, 
Prince?  We  have  placed  the  most  precious  charge  in 
your  hands,  have  left  to  you  what  it  was  your  right,  as 
the  only  male  relative  of  the  countess,  to  claim,  the 
most  delicate  work  of  protecting  the  person  of  our 
future  Queen ;  and  now  this  has  happened.  I  am  as- 
tounded, dismayed,  completely  baffled.  I  had  not  the 
faintest  idea  that  even  a  soul  among  the  whole  Osten- 
burg  circle  had  a  thought  of  what  we  were  planning ; 
and  now,  just  when  everything  is  all  but  ripe,  this 
calamity  has  fallen  like  a  thunderbolt. " 


A  Treacherous  Attack  179 

And  he  continued  to  lament  in  this  fashion  at  great 
length  and  with  most  voluble  energy — an  exceedingly 
artistic  waste  of  much  further  time. 

"Heaven  knows  what  may  happen  next,"  he  cried 
later  on.  "If  these  men  get  wind  who  has  been  in 
the  plot,  the  whole  city  will  be  red  with  murder.  For 
God's  sake,  Prince,  be  careful.  You  must  be  of  course 
associated  with  the  unfortunate  countess  as  her  rela- 
tive and  as  the  late's  Prince's  successor,  and  I  warn 
you  most  solemnly  to  be  on  your  guard,  most  careful 
and  vigilant." 

It  was  a  clever  stroke,  and  I  understood  it  well 
enough.  I  was  to  be  attacked,  but  my  suspicions  of 
any  complicity  on  his  part  were  to  be  silenced  by  this 
warning. 

"  My  life  is  of  no  account ;  I  will  not  live,  indeed,  if, 
through  my  lack  of  care,  anything  happens  to  my 
cousin.  Death  would  be  my  only  solace ! "  I  ex- 
claimed passionately. 

And  this  was  made  the  text  for  a  further  and  longer 
discussion,  until  at  last  Baron  Heckscher  cried  out,  as 
if  in  sudden  dismay : 

"  But  what  are  we  doing?  Wasting  time  in  unavail- 
ing discussion,  while  that  innocent  girl  may  be  endur- 
ing God  only  knows  what. " 

I  sprang  to  my  feet  also,  as  if  equally  distressed. 
We  had  occupied  hours  of  valuable  time  where  min- 
utes would  have  sufficed  had  we  really  been  in  ear- 
nest ;  and  the  hour  when  we  were  due  at  the  ball  was 
fast  approaching. 

"  But  what  of  to-night's  proceedings? "  asked  von 
Nauheim. 

"  We  must  go  forward  as  if  nothing  of  this  had  hap- 
pened. I,  for  one,  am  all  against  giving  up  until  we 


180  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

are  really  beaten.  I  will  cause  inquiry  to  be  made  at 
once  in  a  hundred  different  quarters  by  our  friends 
and  agents,  and  maybe  we  shall  yet  find  the  countess 
in  time  for  to-night's  work.  Is  not  that  best? " 

I  pretended  to  demur. 

"  I  fear  it  is  useless.  Cannot  everything  be  put  off 
until  my  cousin  is  found? " 

"No,  no,  far  safer  to  go  on,"  answered  the  baron,  a 
little  too  eagerly.  "  Even  if  we  cannot  present  the 
countess  as  the  future  Queen  to  the  people  to-night, 
we  are  almost  sure  to  be  able  to  find  her  before  to- 
morrow ;  and  we  must  make  the  best  excuse  possible 
for  her  absence  to-night. " 

I  raised  more  objections,  and  thus  wasted  more  time, 
only  giving  way  in  the  end  with  apparent  reluctance. 
Nearly  another  hour  passed  in  a  fresh  heated  discus- 
sion, and  when  we  separated  it  was  ten  o'clock. 

I  calculated  that  von  Nauheim  might  safely  be  left 
now.  I  had  kept  him  without  food  for  five  hours,  and 
I  knew  he  would  barely  have  time  to  rush  home,  put 
on  his  fancy-dress  costume,  snatch  a  hasty  meal,  and 
get  to  the  ball  at  the  appointed  time  for  the  meeting 
of  the  chief  actors  in  the  night's  business. 

I  was  soon  to  have  evidence,  however,  that  if  I  had 
been  active  in  my  preparations  my  antagonists  had 
also  been  busy,  and  had  laid  deliberate  plans  for  my 
overthrow  at  that  very  moment. 

When  I  left  the  baron's  house,  I  found,  to  my  surprise, 
that  my  carriage  had  gone. 

"  You  can't  even  Keep  in  touch  with  your  own  ser. 
vants,  it  seems,  when  you  want  them,  to  say  nothing 
of  guarding  the  Countess  Minna,"  sneered  von  Nau- 
heim. 

"Apparently  not,"  I  answered;  but  my  momentary 


A  Treacherous  Attack  181 

chagrin  was  merged  the  next  instant  in  the  thought 
that  this  was  probably  no  accident.  I  remembered 
that  von  Nauheim  had  left  the  room  once  for  a  few 
minutes,  and  I  read  the  incident  as  a  danger-signal, 

"We'd  better  have  a  cab  called,"  he  added,  and  he 
sent  a  servant  out  for  one. 

When  the  man  returned  with  one,  my  companion 
said: 

"Come  along,  Prince,  we've  no  time  to  lose." 

For  a  moment  I  hung  back,  but,  reflecting  that  I  had 
better  not  even  yet  show  my  hand,  I  followed  him. 

The  man  drove  off  slowly  at  first,  and  as  the  vehicle 
lumbered  heavily  along  I  felt  in  my  pocket  to  make 
sure  my  revolver  was  ready  for  use  in  need.  Von 
Nauheim  was  obviously  nervous.  At  first  he  whistled 
and  drummed  with  his  fingers  on  the  window,  and 
peered  out  into  the  streets.  It  was  a  dark  night,  and 
the  driver  had  left  the  main  road  and  was  taking  us 
through  some  narrow  and  ill-lighted  streets,  and  was 
driving  much  more  quickly. 

"Where's  the  idiot  taking  us?"  exclaimed  von  Nau- 
heim, assuming  a  tone  of  anger.  "  Doesn't  the  dolt 
know  his  way? " 

u  He  shouldn't  have  left  the  main  street,  should 
he?"  I  asked  unconcernedly.  "Tell  him  which  way 
to  drive.  I  don't  know  it." 

He  put  his  head  out  and  called  to  the  driver,  and  a 
short  heated  altercation  took  place,  which  ended  in 
von  Nauheim  bidding  him  drive  as  fast  as  he  could, 
since  we  were  in  a  furious  hurry. 

The  man  now  whipped  up  his  horse,  the  cab  travel- 
ling at  a  very  quick  pace  indeed,  rattling  and  jolting, 
swaying  and  bumping  over  the  rough  road  with  great 
violence.  I  began  to  think  there  was  a  plan  to  over- 


1 82  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

turn  it  and  take  the  chance  of  dealing  me  some  injury 
in  the  consequent  confusion  when  I  might  lie  in  the 
ruins  of  it.  But  there  was  more  than  that  intended. 

I  did  not  know  the  district  in  the  least,  but  I  knew 
we  had  already  been  much  longer  in  the  vehicle  than 
should  have  sufficed  to  carry  us  either  to  von  Nau- 
heim's  house  or  mine,  and  I  thought  it  time  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  little  play. 

"  Stop  him,"  I  said  to  my  companion.  "  I  am  going 
no  farther  in  this  crazy  thing.  He's  either  a  fool  or 
drunk,  or  worse. " 

"What  are  you  afraid  of?"  he  returned,  with  a 
laugh.  "We're  going  all  right.  I  know  where  we 
are."  And  I  saw  him  look  out  anxiously  into  the 
dark. 

"Well,  I'm  going  no  farther." 

And  I  put  my  hand  out  of  the  window  and  loosened 
the  handle  of  the  doof,  while  I  called  to  the  driver  to 
stop.  I  would  not  turn  my  back  to  von  Nauheim  for 
fear  of  treachery. 

"  He  can't  hear  you,"  he  gibed.  "  Put  your  head  out 
of  the  window  and  call  him,  unless  you're  afraid  of  the 
dark,"  and  he  laughed  again. 

The  situation  was  becoming  graver  every  moment, 
and  I  cursed  myself  for  having  been  such  a  foolhardy 
idiot  as  to  have  stepped  into  a  snare  set  right  before 
my  eyes.  The  carriage  was  travelling  at  a  high  rate 
of  speed,  and  I  had  no  doubt  that  I  was  being  carried 
away  from  Munich  in  order  to  prevent  my  being  pres- 
ent at  the  ball. 

To  jump  out  was  impossible  without  giving  my  com- 
panion an  opportunity  to  deal  me  a  blow  or  a  stab  from 
behind,  which,  even  if  it  did  not  kill  me,  would  cer- 
tainly disable  me  at  a  juncture  when  everything  de- 


A  Treacherous  Attack  183 

pended  upon  my  retaining  the  fullest  use  of  every 
faculty  and  every  ounce  of  strength  I  possessed.  Yet 
I  suspected  that  to  sit  still  and  do  nothing  was  to  allow 
myself  to  be  carried  into  some  carefully  prepared  am- 
bush, where  the  consequences  might  be  even  worse. 

"  I  believe  you  are  afraid  of  the  dark,"  said  my  com- 
panion after  a  pause;  and  I  could  see  in  the  indistinct, 
vacillating  light  that  his  face  wore  a  confident,  sneer- 
ing look  of  infinitely  malicious  triumph. 

I  felt  it  would  be  madness  to  let  him  carry  the  mat- 
ter farther. 

"There  is  some  devilment  here,"  I  said  sternly. 
"This  is  all  preconcerted.  Stop  that  mad  fool  out 
there,  and  let's  have  no  more  of  it." 

"What  do  you  mean?     How  dare  you?  " 

Then  he  stopped  suddenly,  and  I  saw  him  rise  from 
his  seat  and  look  out  through  the  front  windows  of  the 
carriage. 

"By  God!  what  does  it  mean?"  he  exclaimed  ex- 
citedly. 

His  face  had  lost  all  its  jaunty,  blustering  expres- 
sion and  had  turned  gray  with  sudden  fear. 

"He's  fallen  off  the  box,  or  jumped  off,"  he  cried 
in  a  tone  hoarse  with  panic. 

It  was  true.  The  driver  had  disappeared,  and  the 
horse,  freed  from  all  control,  was  stretching  himself 
out  at  a  wild  gallop. 

"  For  God's  sake,  what  had  we  better  do,  Prince? " 
cried  the  coward,  turning  to  me  in  positively  abject 
fear. 

It  was  my  turn  now  to  smile.  His  precious  play  had 
broken  up  completely,  and  instead  of  having  got  me 
into  a  snare  he  had  brought  himself  into  a  mess  that 
was  likely  enough  to  cost  him  his  life. 


184  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  It  serves  you  right, "  I  growled,  with  a  rough  oath. 
"  You'll  be  lucky  if  you  get  out  of  this  mess  alive." 

He  was  a  coward  through  and  through,  and  the  re- 
vulsion of  feeling  from  triumph  at  having  tricked  me 
into  his  power  to  the  realization  that  he  himself  was  in 
dire  peril  was  more  than  his  nerves  could  stand.  He 
groaned,  and  covered  his  eyes  as  if  to  shut  out  the 
danger,  and  then  fell  back  in  his  seat,  limp  and  flaccid, 
like  a  girl  in  a  terror-swoon. 

There  was  nothing  more  to  be  feared  from  him,  and 
I  turned  to  consider  to  help  myself.  I  opened  the  door 
of  the  swaying,  swinging  carriage,  and  tried  to  judge 
the  chances  of  a  leap  out  into  the  road. 

I  could  see  nothing  except  in  the  feeble,  oscillating, 
fitful  light  of  the  lamps,  while  the  door  bumped  and 
dashed  against  me  so  violently  that  I  had  to  grip  hard 
to  prevent  myself  being  thrown  out  altogether.  It 
seemed  impossible  to  hope  for  escape  that  way. 

Yet  I  did  not  know  the  road ;  and,  for  aught  I  could 
tell,  any  minute  might  find  us  dashed  to  pieces.  To 
sit  still,  therefore,  and  wait  for  the  worst  to  happen 
was  at  least  equally  perilous. 

I  thought  of  trying  to  clamber  on  to  the  box-seat  so 
as  to  get  control  of  the  horse;  but  with  the  vehicle 
swaying  and  bumping  as  it  was  the  chances  were  ten 
thousand  to  one  against.  And  if  I  fell  in  the  effort,  I 
should  be  under  the  wheels. 

Then  an  idea  occurred  to  me — to  wound  the  horse 
with  a  revolver-shot.  It  was  desperate ;  but  all  courses 
were  that.  The  light  from  the  lamps  shone  on  the 
horse  sufficiently  to  let  me  see  where  to  shoot ;  and, 
gripping  with  my  left  hand  on  to  the  door  frame,  I 
leaned  out  as  far  as  I  dared  and,  taking  careful  aim, 
fired. 


I     LEANED   OUT   AS    FAR    AS    I    DARED,   AND   TAKING 
CAREFUL   AIM,    FIRED. 


A  Treacherous  Attack  185 

I  missed  the  horse  altogether,  or  grazed  him  very 
slightly,  and  frightened  him;  for  I  felt  the  vehicle 
give  a  violent  jolt  to  one  side  and  then  forward,  being 
nearly  upset  in  the  process.  Then  it  dashed  onward 
at  a  greater  speed  than  before. 

I  leaned  out  once  more  and,  getting  this  time  a 
clearer  aim,  I  fired  again.  There  was  a  wild  and  des- 
perate plunge,  during  which  the  carriage  seemed  to 
stop  dead,  then  there  was  a  terrific  smash,  and  the 
next  instant  horse  and  carriage  were  lying  in  an  indis- 
tinguishable heap  in  the  middle  of  the  road;  and  I 
found  myself  lying  unhurt  a  few  yards  off. 

I  got  up,  and  ran  to  look  for  von  Nauheim.  One  of 
the  lamps  was  still  burning,  and  by  the  light  of  it  I 
made  a  discovery  that  told  me  much.  The  horse  was 
no  ordinary  cab  hack,  but  a  valuable  beast  worth  a 
place  in  any  man's  stud.  This  was  clear  evidence  to 
me  that  the  whole  thing  had  been  planned. 

My  companion  was  lying  under  a  heap  of  the  wrecked 
carriage;  and  after  much  trouble  I  hauled  him  out, 
laid  him  by  the  roadside,  and  endeavored  to  find  out 
whether  he  was  much  hurt,  or  had  only  fainted  from 
fright. 

I  could  not  get  him  round,  however;  and  as  my 
presence  in  Munich  was  too  essential  to  admit  of  my 
remaining  with  him,  I  was  just  starting  to  walk  back, 
meaning  to  send  him  help  as  soon  as  I  could  find  it, 
when  I  heard  the  voices  of  men  approaching. 

I  was  still  suspicious  of  treachery,  and  instantly  on 
my  guard. 

"  Is  that  you,  Fritz? "  called  a  voice  through  the 
dark.  "  Why  didn't  you  come  on  to  the  proper  place?  " 

I  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  these  were  the  men 
who  were  waiting  in  ambush  at  the  spot  where  the 


1 86  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

carriage  ought  to  have  taken  me.  But  I  did  not  know 
who  Fritz  was,  unless  he  were  the  driver,  who  had 
fallen  off. 

"We  have  had  an  accident  here,"  I  called  in  reply, 
muffling  my  voice;  "and  the  Prince  von  Gramberg 
has  been  badly  hurt. " 

"  Is  that  your  Honor  speaking? "  asked  the  voice 
again. 

"Come  along  quickly,"  I  cried.  "  Fritz  " — I  blurred 
the  word  so  that  it  might  pass  for  any  name — "has 
fallen  off  the  box.  You  know  what  to  do  with  the 
Prince.  I  must  return  at  once." 

"  We  know,"  was  the  answer.  "  Your  Honor's  horse 
is  here  " — and  a  man  came  up  with  a  led  horse. 

"Do  your  work  properly,"  I  said  as  I  clambered 
into  the  saddle,  "and  mind  he's  a  bit  delirious.  Pay 
no  heed  to  what  he  says  till  you  get  my  instructions." 

And  with  that  I  clapped  my  heels  into  the  ribs  of  my 
borrowed  horse  and  galloped  off  through  the  dark, 
laughing  to  myself  at  the  thought  that  von  Nauheim 
himself  had  fallen  into  the  clutches  of  the  very  rascals 
in  whose  hands  he  had  designed  to  leave  me. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

THE    BALL    AT    THE    PALACE 

THE  count  had  good  cattle,  and  the  horse  that  car- 
ried me  back  to  Munich  answered  gamely  to  the  calls 
I  made  on  him.  At  any  cost  I  must  get  back  to  the 
house  at  the  earliest  possible  moment ;  and  though  I 
did  not  know  the  road,  and  could  see  scarce  a  dozen 
feet  ahead  of  the  horse's  ears,  I  plunged  along  at  a 
hand-gallop,  trusting  to  his  instinct  and  my  own  luck, 
that  had  already  stood  me  in  such  good  stead  that 
night. 

I  had  not  much  difficulty  in  finding  the  way,  and  I 
reined  up  twice  to  ask  it  of  people  whom  I  met ;  and 
at  last  I  chanced  on  a  man  on  horseback,  who  rode 
with  me  to  within  a  few  doors  of  my  destination. 

I  kept  a  wary  eye  about  me  as  I  rode  into  the  court- 
yard of  the  house,  and  my  first  act  was  to  call  a  groom 
on  whose  discretion  I  knew  I  could  rely. 

"  Take  this  horse  round  at  once  to  Count  von  Nau- 
heim's  stables,"  I  told  the  man,  "and  say  he  has  re- 
quested you  to  bring  it.  Don't  mention  my  name.  I 
wish  you  to  find  out  whether  the  horse  is  one  of  his, 
but  not  to  say  a  word  to  show  that  I  have  sent  you. 
Report  to  me  immediately  on  your  return.  I  must 
have  your  news  before  I  go  out  to-night. " 

The  man  mounted  and  was  off  instantly,  and,  as  I 
had  expected,  he  brought  me  back  word  that  the  horse 
was  one  of  the  count's  stud. 


1 88  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

In  the  mean  while  my  arrival  allayed  the  very  rea- 
sonable  alarm  which  my  prolonged  absence  had 
caused.  It  was  long  past  the  time  at  which  we  were 
to  have  started  for  the  ball,  and  all  the  others  were 
dressed  and  waiting  for  me  impatiently. 

Von  Krugen  came  to  me  with  a  telegram  which  had 
arrived  some  time  before,  and  as  I  tore  open  the  enve- 
lope with  feverish  haste  I  told  him  the  pith  of  what 
had  happened.  The  message  was  from  Praga,  and  to 
my  intense  relief  it  was  worded  as  we  had  agreed  it 
should  be  if  all  went  well. 

"Caught  mail.     Arrive  by  first  delivery." 

Innocent  words  to  read,  but  meaning  much  to  me. 
The  Duke  Marx  had  been  secured,  and  Praga  himself 
was  coming  on  to  Munich  at  the  earliest  moment.  I 
was  glad  enough  of  this.  If  these  attacks  were  to 
continue,  the  stronger  force  we  had  the  better. 

"The  countess  is  full  of  anxiety  to  see  you,  Prince," 
said  von  Krugen  when  I  had  told  him  the  news. 

"  I  will  go  to  her  directly,  but  I  must  dress  at  once. 
See  that  something  for  me  to  eat  is  got  ready  directly. 
Is  there  any  news  of  the  Baroness  Gratz  or  of  the  girl? " 

" None,  there  is  not  a  suspicion  of  the  trick." 

My  spirits  were  rising  fast,  for  everything  was  going 
well.  Despite  all  their  devilment  I  was  master  of  the 
position.  I  held  their  man  in  my  clutches ;  and  before 
the  night  was  a  couple  of  hours  older  they  should  see 
openly  enough  that  I  had  outwitted  them.  But  it  was 
exciting  work. 

Before  hurrying  to  put  on  my  fancy-dress  costume — 
I  was  going  as  a  French  courtier,  a  dress  in  which  I 
could  wear  a  sword  and  could  conceal  a  revolver  easily 
— I  went  to  Minna's  rooms  to  let  her  know  I  had  re- 
turned. 


The  Ball  at  the   Palace  189 

She  came  to  me  looking  so  radiantly  lovely  that  I 
gazed  at  her  in  rapture.  We  had  chosen  her  dress 
with  a  care  for  the  part  she  had  to  play  that  night, 
and  she  wore  a  double  costume.  In  the  first  place  she 
was  to  wear  a  plain  dark  domino  covering  her  entirely 
from  head  to  foot,  the  head,  of  course,  to  be  hooded 
and  the  face  entirely  concealed  by  a  large  mask.  But 
underneath  this  she  wore  a  gorgeously  brilliant  dress 
as  ,Maria  Theresa ;  the  rich  magnificence  of  the  cos- 
tume being  further  set  off  by  a  profusion  of  jewels  of 
all  kinds,  which  sparkled  and  glittered  with  dazzling 
brilliance.  On  her  head  as  crown  she  wore  a  splendid 
tiara  of  magnificent  pearls. 

This  Was  all  arranged  of  set  purpose.  My  object 
was  that  in  the  first  part  of  the  evening  she  should 
run  no  risk  of  recognition  at  all ;  and  that  in  the  sec- 
ond when  I  led  her  forward  as  the  actual  Queen,  she 
might  produce  the  greatest  possible  impression  of 
queenly  wealth,  grandeur,  dignity,  and  loveliness. 

If  the  impression  on  others  were  only  half  as  strik- 
ing as  it  was  upon  me,  I  should  be  more  than  satisfied ; 
and  if  a  beautiful  and  queenly  presence  could  win  ad- 
herents there  was  not  a  man  in  the  ball-room  who 
would  not  be  on  her  side. 

She  enjoyed  the  effect  of  her  loveliness  upon  me, 
and  stood  smiling  with  bright  eyes  as  I  gazed  at 
her. 

"  Shall  I  do,  cousin? "  she  asked,  with  a  dash  of 
coquetry. 

"The  most  lovely  vision  I  have  ever  seen,"  I  cried. 

"Not  vision,  cousin  Hans,"  she  said,  shaking  her 
head  and  shrugging  her  shoulders  till  the  million 
facets  of  her  jewels  gleamed  with  iridescent  lustre. 
"Only  flesh  and  blood — and  rather  frightened  flesh 


190  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

too.  I  was  beginning  to  fear  for  you.  What  has 
happened? " 

"All  is  going  splendidly,"  I  said;  but  I  could  not 
keep  my  eyes  from  her.  "You  are  a  Queen  indeed," 
I  added.  "  If  all  Queens  were  like  you,  royalty  would 
have  no  enemies.  You  will  make  a  profound  impres- 
sion to-night. " 

"I  am  satisfied  if  you  are  pleased,"  she  answered. 
"But  I  am  afraid  of  to-night's  work,  Hans,"  she  add- 
ed, with  a  slight  movement  of  alarm,  like  a  passing 
chill  of  fear.  "  I  shall  be  glad  when  it  is  over,  and 
we  are  all  safe  back  here. " 

"  If  all  goes  well,  you  will  sleep  in  the  palace  to- 
night as  Queen-elect  of  Bavaria — the  Queen  of  us  all." 

"No,  no;  I  don't  wish  that.  I  wish  to  be  here 
among  my  friends.  I  feel  safe  here;  I  should  be 
frightened  there. " 

"  Your  friends  will  be  with  you  there  also.  You  do 
not  think  we  should  desert  you;  by  to-morrow  your 
friends  will  have  multiplied  to  half  a  nation." 

"But  my  enemies — what  of  them?  That  is  my 
fear. " 

"  I  hold  the  hostage  that  will  silence  them,  and 

But  trust  me  and  all  will  be  well,  better,  I  hope,  than 
you  can  think.  We  have  played  a  hazardous  game, 
I  know ;  but  I  have  just  heard  that  the  move  which 
must  decide  it  in  our  favor  has  been  made  success- 
fully." 

"I  wish  I  could  feel  your  enthusiasm,"  she  said, 
rather  sadly. 

"I  have  you  to  enthuse  me,"  I  cried.  "And  for 
your  sake " 

I  stopped,  I  was  losing  my  head  in  the  craze  of  her 
beauty. 


The   Ball  at  the  Palace  191 

"You  would  what?  "  she  asked,  putting  her  hand  on 
mine,  and  setting  me  on  fire  with  a  look  which  I 
thought  and  hoped  I  could  read. 

I  thrust  away  the  almost  maddening  temptation  to 
say  what  was  in  my  heart  and  thoughts. 

"  I  would  remember  that  there  is  yet  much  to  do,"  I 
said  stolidly,  dropping  my  eyes. 

She  snatched  her  hand  away,  and  turned  away  from 
me  with  a  toss  of  the  head. 

"I  wish  I  had  never  gone  on  with  this!"  she  ex- 
claimed impetuously.  •  "  It  was  not  my  wish.  I  should 

not  if  you  had  not  persuaded  me No,  I  don't 

mean  that  at  all.  Forgive  me,  cousin,  I  am  so  thought- 
less! "  she  cried,  changing  again  quickly.  "  I  know  all 
you  have  done  for  me,  and  I  am  not  ungrateful.  For- 
give me."  She  came  again  and  put  her  hands  back 
into  mine.  "  I  am  such  a  poor  Queen  even  for  a 
sham  one." 

This  was  even  more  trying  than  before,  and  I  had 
to  fight  hard  to  hold  myself  in  hand.  But  I  suc- 
ceeded. 

"Don't  speak  of  forgiveness;  there  is  nothing  to 
forgive.  What  lies  before  us  to-night  is  enough  to 
make  any  one  anxious.  I  can  understand  you." 

"Can  you?"  she  answered,  peering  with  shining, 
eloquent  eyes  into  mine.  "  No,  no,  no,  a  hundred 
times  no.  But  I  am  glad  you  like  my  dress  and — I 
will  try  to  bear  myself  to-night  so  as  to  be  worthy  of 
— of  all  you  have  dared  for  me." 

"  God  grant  we  may  all  come  safely  through  it,  and 
that  to-night  may  see  you  Queen  indeed,"  I  replied 
fervently ;  and  I  was  putting  my  lips  to  her  hand  as  a 
sign  of  my  homage,  though  I  meant  more,  when  she 
drew  her  hand  hastily  away. 


192  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"I  am  not  Queen  yet,"  she  exclaimed;  and  I  was 
wondering  at  the  meaning  of  this  little  action  all  the 
time  I  was  donning  my  courtier's  garb.  Her  change- 
fulness  puzzled  me.  Sometimes  I  hoped — well,  I 
scarce  know  what  I  was  not  fool  enough  to  think; 
and  at  others  I  feared.  But  my  hopes  were  stronger 
than  my  fears  on  that  account,  and  had  there  not  been 
such  important  work  on  hand  that  night  I  think  I 
could  not  have  resisted  putting  the  ball  to  far  other 
use  than  its  promoters  had  projected. 

I  could  not  drive  with  her  to  the  palace,  as  it  was 
necessary  that  I  should  arrive  alone,  and  I  had  procured 
an  invitation  for  her  in  another  name.  Von  Krugen 
was  to  be  in  constant  attendance  upon  her,  with  urgent 
instructions  never  to  let  her  out  of  his  sight;  and 
Steinitz,  who  was  also  garbed  as  a  courtier  and  carried 
a  sword,  was  to  be  an  additional  guard,  remaining  at 
a  distance  and  keeping  in  touch  with  me,  so  that  I 
might  know  where  to  find  Minna  at  the  instant  I 
needed.  In  order  that  there  might  be  no  difficulty  in 
my  recognizing  her,  supposing  there  were  another 
domino  of  the  same  color  and  shape,  we  had  had  a 
small  cross  of  red  silk  sewn  on  each  shoulder. 

I  was  very  busy  with  my  thoughts  and  full  of  anxi- 
ety as  I  drove  away.  So  far  as  I  could  see  now,  my 
plans  were  complete.  I  had  the  Duke  Marx  in  my 
hands ;  I  had  outwitted  my  opponents  and  could  pro- 
duce Minna  at  the  very  moment  when  they,  reckoning 
on  her  absence,  would  have  pledged  themselves  over 
the  hilt  in  her  cause ;  no  one  had  breathed  a  hint  to 
show  that  my  assumption  of  the  part  of  the  Prince  was 
more  certainly  known  than  a  few  days  previously;  and 
I  had  a  fairly  accurate  knowledge  of  my  opponents' 
tactics  and  aims,  while  they  were  ignorant  of  mine. 


The  Ball  at  the  Palace  193 

It  was  probable  enough  that  my  appearance  at  the 
ball  safe  and  sound  after  von  Nauheim's  attempt  on 
me  would  cause  some  consternation,  and  no  doubt 
I  must  be  well  on  my  guard  for  the  rest  of  the 
evening. 

I  was  very  late  in  entering,  but  that  would  only  give 
color  to  the  supposition  that  I  had  been  trapped  by 
von  Nauheim ;  and  I  thought  I  might  perhaps  turn  it 
to  account  by  surprising  something  out  of  the  men 
who  did  not  expect  me. 

With  this  object  I  fastened  my  mask  very  firmly — it 
was  a  large  one,  and  hid  my  features  successfully; 
and,  taking  a  hint  from  my  old  stage  experiences,  I 
humped  up  one  of  my  shoulders,  limped  on  one  leg, 
and  in  this  way  hobbled,  with  the  gait  of  an  old  man, 
into  the  ball-room. 

It  was  a  brilliant  scene  indeed.  The  magnificent 
suite  of  rooms  was  decorated  in  the  most  lavish  man- 
ner, each  in  a  different  style  and  period;  and  the 
garish  blaze  of  light  in  places  contrasting  with  the 
soft,  seductive  tints  of  others,  the  artistic  combination 
of  decorative  coloring,  the  changing  play  of  the  elec- 
tric fairy  lamps  of  every  conceivable  hue,  the  group- 
ing of  hundreds  of  palms  and  ferns  with  contrasting 
masses  of  gorgeously  colored  flowers,  a  thousand 
guests  in  all  the  exuberant  splendor  of  the  most  ex* 
quisite  costumes,  and  the  sparkling  glitter  of  myriads 
of  jewels,  made  up  a  scene  of  positively  gorgeous  fas- 
cination. 

'  To  me  it  v/as  a  great  stage,  on  which  all  the  people 
present  were  but  supers,  walking,  dancing_  chatting, 
laughing,  and  love-making,  to  fill  up  time  until  the 
really  important  characters  should  have  their  en- 
trances called. 


194  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

Near  to  the  door,  as  I  entered,  a  clown  was  fooling 
clumsily  and  awkwardly,  and  passing  silly  jests  in  a 
disguised  voice  with  all  who  passed  him. 

I  knew  him  directly.  It  was  the  mad  King,  and  on 
the  sleeve  of  his  clown's  tunic  I  saw  the  mark  that  told 
us  who  he  was.  Round  him  in  busy  hum  I  heard  loud, 
whispers  about  the  greatness  and  cleverness  of  the 
King,  and  every  now  and  then  he  would  stop  his  silly 
jesting  to  listen  to  these  comments. 

" 'Tis  easy  to  see  thou  art  a  soldier,  old  hobbler," 
he  called  to  me,  and  ran  and  planted  himself  in  my 
path,  and  peered  up  in  my  face. 

"Why's  that,  clown?"  I  asked  in  an  old  man's 
voice. 

"  Because  thou  canst  not  help  shouldering  arms,"  he 
cried,  humping  up  his  own  shoulder  in  ridicule  of 
mine ;  and  at  the  silly  jest  the  crowd  round  burst  into 
roars  of  loud  Court  laughter,  with  cries  of  "  How  ex- 
cellent ! "  "  What  wit !  "  "  Who  is  this  great  jester? " 
and  a  hundred  other  notes  of  praise  of  his  wonderful 
clowning. 

I  passed  on,  not  ill  pleased  to  have  been  mistaken 
for  an  old  man,  and  I  made  my  way  slowly  round  the 
grand  rooms,  looking  for  the  men  I  had  to  meet,  and 
wondering  why  the  King  was  still  at  large.  I  kept 
turning  to  look  back  at  the  place  where  I  had  met 
him,  and  when  at  length  I  saw  that  he  had  gone  I 
judged  that  this  meant  he  had  left  to  change  his  cos- 
tume, and  that  the  occasion  of  that  change  would  be 
seized  for  the  purposes  of  the  plot.  And  just  as  I  no- 
ticed that  a  voice  which  I  recognized  as  the  Baron 
Heckscher's  fell  on  my  ear. 

"  It  is  long  past  the  hour.  Something  may  have 
happened. " 


The  Ball  at  the  Palace  195 

"  I  have  suspected  him  from  the  first.  It  spells 
treachery,"  said  another. 

It  was  Herr  Kummell. 

I  had  reached  the  far  end  of  the  suite  of  rooms,  and 
at  the  back  of  me  was  a  deep  alcove  or  small  ante- 
room, at  the  mouth  of  which  the  two  men  were  stand- 
ing, some  others  being-  farther  inside.  I  guessed  they 
were  speaking  of  me,  and  I  stood  concealed  by  one  of 
the  pillars  which  supported  the  domed  roof,  and  kept 
my  back  to  them,  listening  with  all  my  ears. 

"I  do  not  wish  to  think  that,"  answered  the  baron 
in  a  tone  of  assumed  reluctance.  "  But  what  you  have 
told  me  is  very  extraordinary." 

"  He  has  purposely  put  her  out  of  our  reach.  You 
will  never  find  her.  I  am  for  letting  matters  pass.  If 
he  were  here  I  would  tell  him  to  his  face  what  I  think." 

It  was  certainly  nothing  less  than  a  disaster  that  the 
two  men  who,  of  all  those  in  the  scheme,  were  really 
loyal  to  Minna,  and  should  have  been  of  the  utmost 
value  in  co-operating  with  me,  were,  through  the  un- 
fortunate turn  of  things,  suspicious  of  me  and  hostile. 
I  could,  of  course,  do  nothing  now  to  undeceive  them ; 
but  it  was  an  additional  aggravation  that  Minna's  sup- 
posed disappearance  should  have  been  made  to  appear 
as  the  result  of  my  treachery. 

"We  cannot  go  back  now,"  I  heard  the  baron  say. 
"  Indeed  the  curtain  has  drawn  up  already.  The  King 
has  gone  for  his  change  of  dress. " 

They  turned  then  into  the  alcove  to  join  the  rest, 
and  I  moved  away.  Soon  afterward  I  dropped  the 
shuffling  gait  of  an  old  man  and  walked  to  the  alcove 
with  quick,  firm  footsteps. 

"  Good  evening,  gentlemen, "  I  said.  "  I  am  late, 
but  that  is  no  fault  of  my  own." 


196  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

My  arrival  produced  an  evident  surprise,  and  even 
the  astute  Baron  Heckscher  showed  some  signs  of  it. 

"You  are  indeed  very  late,  Prince,"  he  said.  "Wo 
had  begun  to  fear  that  you  were  going  to  fail  us  at 
the  last  moment. " 

"  Have  you  found  the  Countess  Minna? "  asked 
Kummell.  "Or  perhaps  you  have  been  detained 
searching  for  her? " 

His  tone  rang  with  contempt,  and  he  made  no  at- 
tempt to  hide  his  suspicions  of  me. 

"  That  is  a  question  we  should  put  to  Baron  Heck- 
scher here,"  I  answered  in  a  tone  which  made  the 
latter  start  and  look  at  me.  "  I  mean,  of  course,  that 
he  almost  pledged  his  word  to  find  her  in  time  for 
to-night's  work.  Have  you  any  news,  baron?  " 

*'I  have  every  hope  that  all  will  yet  be  right,"  he 
said. 

"Those  who  hide  can  find,"  said  Kummell. 

"They  can,  and  I  wish  they'd  be  quick  about  it,"  I 
assented  curtly.  "  But  we  have  no  time  now  for  dis- 
cussion. We  have  to  act.  And  I  shall  be  glad  to  be 
informed  how  matters  stand.  Are  all  the  arrange- 
ments complete? " 

Kummell  and  his  friend  Beilager,  the  baron,  and  I 
had  been  standing  apart  from  the  rest,  who  were 
grouped  together,  engaged  in  a  low  but  animated 
conversation,  of  which  I  did  not  doubt  I  was  the  sub- 
ject. Baron  Heckscher  moved  across  to  the  larger 
group  as  I  put  the  question,  and  I  took  advantage  of 
the  moment  to  say  to  Kummell  in  a  low,  earnest  tone: 

"  You  have  done  me  the  ill  turn  to  suspect  me,  and 
before  the  night  is  out  you  will  have  cause  to  admit 
your  error.  I  shall  rely  upon  you  implicitly  to  stand 
by  your  loyalty  in  what  is  to  come  to-night.  After- 


The  Ball  at  the  Palace  197 

ward  we  can  have  an  explanation  if  necessary,"  and 
without  giving  him  time  to  reply  I  went  after  the 
baron. 

A  short  and  hurried  statement  of  the  present  posi- 
tion of  things  followed,  the  pith  of  which  was  that  all 
was  in  readiness,  and  we  might  expect  the  news  at 
any  moment  that  the  final  coup  was  to  be  made. 

A  few  minutes  later  a  messenger  hurried  into  the 
alcove  and  spoke  to  the  baron,  who  then  turned  to  us, 
and  in  a  low  tone  said : 

"  Gentlemen,  the  King  is  ours.  God  bless  the  new 
ruler  of  Bavaria. " 

A  murmured  echo  of  the  words  from  all  present  was 
drowned  by  a  loud  fanfare  of  trumpets  and  thumping 
of  drums  from  the  other  end  of  the  domed  hall,  and 
these  heralded,  as  we  knew,  the  coming  of  the  King's 
substitute.  We  moved  out  at  once  to  take  our  places 
for  the  big  drama,  and  I  looked  round  anxiously  for 
the  dark  domino  of  Minna.  As  I  caught  sight  of  her 
in  the  distance  I  found  that  my  heart  was  beating 
with  quite  unusual  violence  and  speed. 


CHAPTER    XVII 

CHECKMATE 

THE  entrance  of  the  mad  King's  understudy  had 
been  arranged  with  scrupulous  eye  to  effect.  The 
King  himself  had  ordered  all  details,  and  they  were 
carried  out  exactly  as  he  had  planned,  on  a  scale  of 
ostentatious  and  almost  insane  extravagance  in  which 
he  was  wont  to  indulge. 

The  supposed  King  was  made  up  to  represent  a  Chi- 
nese Emperor,  the  full  robes  offering  effectual  conceal- 
ment of  any  difference  between  the  figures  of  the  King 
and  his  substitute.  His  head  was  bald  save  for  the 
ornamental  head-dress  and  the  long,  coal-black  pigtail. 
His  features  were  entirely  concealed  behind  the  skin 
mask  of  a  painted  Chinese  face  drawn  very  tight,  life- 
like, yet  infinitely  grotesque ,  and  his  robes  were  gor- 
geous and  most  costly,  embroidered  with  thousands  of 
jewels  in  the  quaintest  and  weirdest  of  Chinese  designs. 

He  was  seated  in  a  royal  palanquin,  bore  by  eight 
bearers  in  most  hideous  garbs,  each  wearing  a  skin 
mask  of  the  same  kind  as  the  central  figure ;  and  as 
they  put  down  their  burden  in  the  middle  of  the  hall 
they  turned  in  all  directions,  and  set  their  faces  grin- 
ning and  mouthing  and  grimacing  with  a  most  weird 
effect.  The  palanquin  itself  was  decorated  and  be- 
jewelled with  the  same  lavish  prodigality  with  which 
the  lunatic  King  was  accustomed  to  squander  his  peo- 
ple's money  in  trifles  and  fooling. 


Checkmate  199 

So  gorgeous  and  costly  was  every  appointment  of  it, 
indeed,  that  even  while  the  spectators  marvelled  at  its 
brilliance  they  cursed  the  wastefulness  that  made  it 
practicable. 

But  it  was  quite  impossible  to  mistake  the  whole 
thing  for  anything  but  a  royal  freak ,  and  those  pres- 
ent did  not  need  the  private  mark  that  was,  as  usual, 
on  the  arm  to  reveal  to  them  that  the  bowing,  grin- 
ning, sumptuously  apparelled  figure  that  sat  amid  the 
cushions  of  the  palanquin,  squeaking  out  gibberish  in 
a  high-pitched  voice  as  though  indulging  in  Chinese 
greetings,  was  their  King. 

The  whole  scene  was  too  characteristic  of  him. 

Behind  the  palanquin,  grouped  with  clever  regard 
to  color  effects,  were  the  members  of  a  numerous 
suite,  all  attired  in  rich  Chinese  costumes,  while  musi- 
cians, playing  upon  all  kinds  of  extraordinary  instru- 
ments, clanged  and  clashed,  trumpeted  and  drummed, 
squeaked  and  groaned,  in  a  medley  of  indescribable 
discords  and  unrhythmic  jangle.  Yet  in  all  the  babel 
and  confusion  there  was  the  method  of  shrewd  organi- 
zation and  carefully  thought  out  plan. 

When  the  first  effect  of  the  dramatic  entrance  was 
over,  the  bearers  took  up  the  palanquin,  a  procession 
was  formed,  and  the  courtiers  and  musicians,  rein- 
forced by  a  number  of  dancing-girls  and  men,  made 
a  progress  round  the  ball-rooms,  and  at  last  grouped 
themselves  about  and  around  a  raised  dais,  on  one  side 
of  which  stood  an  improvised  throne. 

A  programme  of  dancing  was  then  gone  through, 
followed  by  a  number  of  ceremonial  acts,  all  intended 
as  a  preface  to  the  chief  performance  for  which  we 
were  waiting  so  anxiously — the  play  of  the  formal 
abdication. 


2oo  A.   Dash  for  a  Throne 

During  the  whole  of  this  fantastic  business  my  ex- 
citement had  been  growing  fast.  I  knew  that  with 
comparatively  few  exceptions  all  the  people  present 
were  dead  against  me  and  in  favor  of  the  Ostenburg 
interest.  For  months — for  years,  indeed — they  had 
been  working,  striving,  and  plotting  for  the  end  which 
they  now  thought  to  be  within  their  reach.  Among 
them,  as  I  had  had  abundant  evidence,  were  men  des- 
perate enough  to  stop  short  of  no  excesses  to  gain  that 
end ;  and  yet  I  was  seeking  to  checkmate  them  in  the 
very  hour  of  success  by  a  single  bold  stroke. 

All  the  men  who  had  taken  a  leading  part  in  the 
plot  had  dispersed  among  the  audience,  each  having 
a  definite  part  assigned  to  him.  I  myself  stood  apart 
leaning  against  a  pillar,  with  Steinitz  not  far  from  me, 
and  when  the  procession  had  just  passed  me  a  deep 
voice  close  to  my  ear  said : 

"A  striking  ceremonial,  Prince." 

I  looked  round,  and  thought  I  recognized  the  lithe, 
sinewy  face  of  the  Corsican  Praga,  whose  dark,  glitter- 
ing eyes  were  staring  at  me  through  his  mask'. 

"  Very  striking.    Who  are  you?"  I  asked  cautiously. 

"  I  carry  the  tools  of  my  trade,"  he  replied,  touching 
lightly  his  sword.  "And  I  am  badly  in  want  of 
work  " 

"  Why  are  you  here? " 

"  I  am  a  sort  of  postman — I  bring  news  of  the  mail." 

I  understood  the  play  of  the  words,  and  knew  him 
by  it  for  certain. 

"  And  what  is  the  news?  " 

"  Of  the  best,  except  for  one  thing." 
,     His  tone  alarmed  me  somewhat.     We   drew  away 
then  from  the  crowd,  and,  standing  apart  together, 
he  told  me  what  had  happened. 


Checkmate  201 

"  That  Clara  is  a  devil,  Prince,  and  we  must  beware 
of  her.  She  hates  you,  and  has  been  torn  in  two  ways 
by  this  business." 

"What  do  you  mean,  man?  Speak  out.  Where  is 
the  Duke  Marx? " 

"  Safe,  and  where  no  one  will  find  him.  Drunk  as 
a  Christian  duke  should  be,  and  the  wine  that  was 
made  from  the  water  couldn't  make  him  drunker. 
She  lured  him  out  to  Spenitz ;  and,  when  she  had  got 
him  separated  from  his  servants,  drove  with  him  to 
the  house  at  Friessen  alone."  This  was  the  place  we 
had  secured  for  the  purpose  in  a  lonely  spot  some  fifty 
miles  from  the  city.  "  He  would  have  gone  to  the 
world's  end  in  the  mood  she  worked  him  into,  and  I 
chuckled  louder  every  fresh  mile  we  covered." 

"You!  What  were  you  doing  there?"  I  asked  in 
astonishment. 

"  I  was  the  driver,  of  course.  We  wanted  no  ser- 
vants— there  was  no  place  for  them — and,  once  we 
started  from  Spenitz,  I  vowed  that  he  should  go  on 
if  I  had  to  brain  him  to  get  him  there.  Bacchus,  but 
he's  a  fool! " 

"Get  on  with  the  story,  man,"  said  I  impatiently. 
"  I  want  to  know  what  you  fear  is  wrong. " 

"  He  went  out  like  a  lamb,  protesting  only  now  and 
then  that  he  must  be  back  soon,  and  must  be  in  Mu- 
nich to-night ;  but  she  stopped  his  protests  with  a  kiss, 
and  the  fool  was  as  happy  as  a  drunken  clown.  We 
reached  Friessen,  and  then  the  play  began.  While 
they  were  billing  and  fooling  in  the  house  I  slipped 
a  saddle  on  the  horse's  back  in  place  of  his  harness, 
went  out  on  to  the  road,  and,  after  I  had  given  him 
less  than  half  an  hour  with  Clara,  I  came  galloping  up 
to  the  house  at  full  stretch,  for  all  the  world  as  if  I 


2O2  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

had  followed  them  every  yard  of  the  way  from  Spe- 
nitz,  and  I  rushed  into  the  room  with  my  sword 
drawn,  spluttering  out  oaths,  and  vowing  I'd  have  his 
life  on  the  spot. " 

"Well?" 

"There's  a  good  assortment  of  cowardice  in  that 
little  body  of  his.  He  has  too  many  good  things  in 
this  life  to  wish  to  leave  it,  I  suppose,  for  he  could 
scarcely  make  enough  show  of  fight  to  make  it  plau- 
sible for  Clara  to  rush  in  between  us,  throw  herself 
on  her  knees,  and,  with  a  clever  bit  of  acting,  pray 
that  there  should  be  no  bloodshed.  I  blustered  and 
raged,  and  at  length  consented  to  spare  his  wee  chip 
of  a  life ;  but  I  forced  him  to  swallow  an  opiate  that 
made  him  as  drunk  as  a  fool,  and  will  keep  him  quiet 
for  a  dozen  hours  or  more.  Then  I  bound  and  gagged 
him  to  make  doubly  sure,  and  locked  him  up  in  an 
underground  cellar.  We  can  keep  him  there  a  close 
prisoner  for  a  month  if  need  be  and  not  a  soul  will  be 
the  wiser,  unless " 

"  Unless  what? "  I  cried. 

"  Unless  the  beloved  Clara  should  choose  to  say  what 
she  knows." 

"  Do  you  suspect  her? " 

"  I  don't  know  what  she  means,  or  what  she  wants. 
She  is  torn  between  her  desire  to  help  me  and  to  hurt 
you;  and  which  will  win  in  the  end  I  can't  say.  She 
has  done  this  for  me,  but,  having  done  it,  she  is  singu- 
lar enough  to  turn  round  and  try  to  hit  at  you  in  some 
other  direction.  I  can't  answer  for  her;  and  I  thought 
it  best  to  tell  you  so." 

"  If  you  think  she  means  to  tell  of  his  whereabouts, 
we'll  send  out  to-night  at  once  and  change  it." 

"  I  can't  think  that,  because  it  would  be  treachery  to 


Checkmate  203 

me.  In  fact,  I'm  sure  she  won't.  She  knows  me 
pretty  well  by  this  time,  and  I  swore  to  her  that  if 
she  did  anything  of  the  kind  I'd  wreak  a  bitter  ven- 
geance on  her  and  the  duke.  I'll  do  it  too, "  he  growled, 
with  a  deep  guttural  oath. 

"  But  what  do  you  fear,  then? " 

"  She  is  back  to-night  in  Munich  for  some  object ; 
and  as  she  is  deep  in  with  the  Ostenburg  lot,  trusted 
by  them,  too — it  is  through  her  that  most  things  have 
leaked  to  me — we  may  look  for  her  to  fend  off  suspi- 
cion from  herself  for  this  decoy  work  by  striking  at 
you  in  some  other  way.  So  you  know  what  to  ex- 
pect. " 

"  But  if  she  is  helping  you,  why  should  she  turn 
against  me?r>  I  said,  perplexed. 

"  For  the  best  of  all  reasons,  Prince — she  is  a 
woman. " 

The  fact  that  I  could  not  solve  the  enigma  did  not 
decrease  my  disquiet  at  the  news,  and  had  there  been 
time  I  would  have  taken  some  measures  of  precaution. 
But  it  was  too  late  now.  We  must  go  on,  whether  to 
succeed  or  to  fail ;  for  a  glance  at  the  dais  showed  me 
that  the  moment  for  the  act  of  abdication  had  arrived, 
and  we  both  turned  to  watch  the  proceedings. 

This  ceremonial  was  also  very  carefully  planned  to 
give  it  the  appearance  of  formal  reality.  A  loud  flour- 
ish of  trumpets  was  sounded,  and  the  Court  herald 
stepped  forward  and  announced  that  his  Majesty  the 
King  had  a  weighty  communication  to  make  at  once. 
Every  one  of  the  Privy  Councillors  present  went  for- 
ward and  stood  in  a  group  about  the  throne,  and 
among  them  were  the  Baron  Heckscher,  and  five  or 
six  of  the  men  who  had  been  associated  as  leaders  in 
the  scheme.  To  them  the  pseudo  King  made  many 


204  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

bows,  and,  choosing  the  Baron  Heckscher  as  his  mouth- 
piece, delivered  by  him  a  message  to  the  rest.  Then 
the  trumpets  blared  again,  and  the  supposed  King, 
standing  up,  laid  aside  the  outer  Chinese  robe  he  wore, 
and  stood  revealed  in  the  ordinary  Court  dress  of  the 
King  himself;  but  he  remained  masked,  of  course. 
He  next  handed  a  paper  to  the  baron,  who  handed 
it  to  one  of  the  heralds,  and  the  latter,  who  had  been 
properly  coached  as  to  its  contents,  read  it  out  in  a 
loud,  ringing  voice  to  all  the  people  assembled. 

This  was  the  royal  proclamation  that  his  Majesty 
had  resolved  to  abdicate,  and  that  he  had  nominated 
the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg,  the  nearest  heir, 
as  his  successor,  and  called  upon  the  people  to  support 
her.  At  this  juncture  I  made  my  way  to  where  Minna 
was  standing  in  her  hooded  domino  by  von  Krugen, 
and  took  my  place  beside  her.  She  was  trembling 
violently,  and  I  whispered  a  word  or  two  of  encourage- 
ment. 

"You  had  better  get  ready  to  unmask,  and  throw 
aside  the  domino,"  I  said,  and  her  reply  was  drowned 
in  the  ringing  cheers  of  the  crowd. 

There  was  HO  mistaking  the  heartiness  which  greeted 
the  news  of  the  abdication ;  but  the  question  for  us  was 
whether  there  would  be  the  same  cheering  when  it  was 
found  that  Minna  herself  was  present  to  accept  the 
honor  thus  offered  her. 

At  first  those  people  who  were  not  in  the  secret 
had  been  altogether  unable  to  grasp  the  meaning  of 
the  proceedings ;  but  those  in  the  plot  soon  led  the  way, 
and  as  they  scattered  thickly  all  about  the  room,  they 
spread  the  news  quickly  and  by  assuming  to  take  the 
whole  thing  as  genuine  induced  the  rest  to  indorse  an 
event  they  desired  only  too  keenly. 


Checkmate  205 

Then  followed  the  Act  of  Abdication. 

The  crown  was  brought  by  a  page  to  the  King,  and 
he  took  it  and  placed  it  on  his  head. 

This  was  followed  by  a  moment  of  silence. 

The  trumpets  blared  out  again ;  and  the  herald  an- 
nounced that  his  Majesty  would  lay  aside  the  crown 
in  accordance  with  the  proclamation  and  as  a  sign  that 
he  renounced  it  forever  in  favor  of  his  successor. 

The  action  was  watched  in  deep,  dead  silence ;  but 
no  sooner  had  it  been  completed  than  the  chorusing 
crowd,  who  had  been  carefully  coached,  broke  out  into 
loud  and  vociferous  cries  and  shouts  of  "  Long  live 
Queen  Minna! " 

"Now,  Minna,"  I  whispered  anxiously;  for  she 
seemed  too  anxious  to  make  the  slightest  attempt  to 
prepare.  "  In  another  moment  I  must  lead  you  for- 
ward." 

As  the  cries  died  away  the  man  on  the  throne,  now 
uncrowned,  moved  aside,  and,  with  a  bow  to  those 
round  him,  walked  quickly  away  out  of  the  hall. 

There  was  another  blare  of  trumpets  and  a  fresh  call 
for  the  Queen. 

"Come,  Minna;  you  must  come,"  I  said  firmly;  and 
I  myself  unmasked,  drawing  the  attention  of  many  in 
the  room  upon  me  by  this  act. 

But  the  girl  at  my  side  made  no  movement.  She 
had  ceased  to  tremble,  however,  as  I  found  when  she 
put  her  hand  on  my  arm. 

"  Everything  will  be  ruined,  Minna,  if  you  do  not 
come,"  I  said,  and  in  my  excitement  I  touched  her 
domino,  as  if  to  draw  it  away. 

A  low  soft  laugh  was  the  answer  I  got. 

I  looked  up  in  the  deepest  astonishment.  I  began 
to  fear  I  knew  not  what.  A  glance  at  the  secret  mark 


206  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

on  the  domino  told  me  there  was  no  mistake.  The 
little  red  cross  on  the  shoulder  next  me  was  distinctly 
visible.  But  an  instant  later  I  knew  what  it  all  meant. 

The  mask  was  slipped  off,  but  instead  of  Minna  the 
face  of  Clara  Weylin  met  mine  with  a  look  of  exasper- 
ating mockery  in  the  insolent,  triumphant  eyes. 

For  the  moment  I  was  like  a  man  bereft  of  his 
senses. 


INSTEAD   OK    MINNA,   THE    PACK   OK   CLARA    WEYLIN    MET    MINE. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

AFTER    THE    ABDUCTION 

i 

"THIS  is  my  revenge,  Herr  Fischer." 

The  words  were  spoken  in  an  angry,  taunting 
voice,  quite  loud  enough  for  many  people  round 
us  to  hear,  and  they  looked  at  us  in  the  broadest 
astonishment. 

They  recalled  my  scattered  wits. 

"  Captain  von  Krugen,  what  is  the  meaning  of  this?  " 
I  demanded  in  a  quick,  stern  tone  of  the  man  who  was 
staring  in  abject  helpless  bewilderment  at  the  woman 
who  had  thus  tricked  us  so  cleverly. 

"  I  am  absolutely  at  a  loss "  he  began ;  but  I  cut 

him  short. 

"  You  have  betrayed  your  trust,  sir,  and  God  alone 
knows  what  the  consequences  will  be. " 

Meanwhile  the  cries  for  the  Queen  Minna  were  grow- 
ing in  volume  and  echoing  all  around  us,  and  I  saw  the 
Baron  Heckscher  look  across  at  me.  The  men  about 
the  throne  had  unmasked.  I  thought  rapidly.  It  was 
no  use  wasting  time  in  reproaching  or  abusing  the 
woman  who  had  fooled  us.  We  were  in  a  mess  which 
might  ruin  not  only  my  scheme,  but  the  whole  of  us. 
While  the  people  were  still  shouting  for  the  Queen,  I 
hurried  back  to  where  Praga  was  standing,  and  in  a 
few  words  told  him  what  had  occurred. 

"  She  is  the  devil.     I  feared  something.     I'll " 


208  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Don't  waste  time.  We  have  one  strong  card  yet, 
and  -must  keep  possession  of  it.  You  are  still  true 
to  me?"  I  asked. 

"As  true  as  death,  I'll  show " 

"  Then  you  must  do  this.  Return  at  once  to  Friessen 
with  all  possible  speed — you  and  Captain  von  Krugen. 
Take  the  duke  away  anywhere,  and  lodge  him  in  a 
place  of  safety.  If  neither  of  you  can  think  of  a  bet- 
ter place,  carry  him  to  Gramberg ;  but  one  of  you  will 
probably  know  of  some  place  where  he  can  be  kept  as 
a  hostage.  If  I  cannot  hold  him  prisoner  our  last  hope 
is  gone. " 

"  She  will  never  say " 

"  I  trust  no  woman  again  in  a  thing  of  this  sort. 
Put  him  where  she  cannot  tell  any  one  where  he  is.  You 
will  have  to  ride  all  the  way,  I  expect.  No  matter. 
Take  the  best  horses  in  the  stables  here  and  ride  them 
to  a  standstill,  if  necessary.  You  must  go  at  a  hand- 
gallop  the  whole  way :  or  perhaps  you  can  get  a  special 
train  to  Spenitz.  Anything,  but  for  God's  sake  go — 
and  at  once.  You  can  deal  with  the  woman  after- 
ward." 

I  called  up  von  Krugen,  and  gave  him  the  hurried 
orders. 

"  Remember  at  any  cost  to  keep  him  a  prisoner,  and 
let  me  know  where  he  is. " 

These  were  my  last  words  to  the  two,  and  spoken 
with  almost  fierce  earnestness.  As  I  turned  from  them 
I  beckoned  Steinitz  to  me. 

"  I  am  going  to  speak  to  that  woman  in  a  dark  dom- 
ino. When  I  leave  her  watch  her  as  you  would  watch 
the  devil,  and  let  me  know  where  she  goes  and  to 
whom  she  speaks." 

I  went  back  to  Clara  Weylin. 


After  the  Abduction  209 

Will  you  give  me  an  interview  presently? "  I 
asked,  very  quietly,  adding  significantly,  "  It  will  be 
safer." 

"  I  am  not  afraid  of  you,"  she  replied  scornfully. 

"  It  will  be  safer,"  I  repeated. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  speak  to  you." 

"It  will  be  safer,"  I  said  for  the  third  time;  and 
then  I  crossed  the  room  to  where  the  men  clustered 
about  the  throne  were  waiting  for  me. 

"  Where  is  the  Countess  Minna?  "  asked  Baron  Heck- 
scher ;  and  he  could  not  restrain  the  evidence  of  his 
feeling  of  triumph. 

"  I  regret  that  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg  is 
unable  to  be  present.  Baron  Heckscher  has  known  for 
some  hours  that  this  would  be  the  case."  I  said  this 
loudly  enough  for  those  about  us  to  hear,  and  a  glance 
into  the  man's  face  told  me  that  he  knew  of  my  sud- 
den disappointment,  and  was  enjoying  his  triumph 
supremely.  I  kept  out  of  my  voice  and  manner  all 
signs  of  alarm  or  anger,  and  added  quietly  to  the 
baron,  "You  had  better  announce  her  indisposition, 
and  stop  this  clamor." 

On  seeing  me  cross  to  the  throne  those  who  were 
leading  the  chorus  took  up  the  cry  for  Minna  with 
redoubled  energy. 

"  I  will  not  answer  for  the  effect  of  the  disappoint- 
ment," he  said. 

"Yet  you  will  have  to,"  said  I,  with  a  look  he  could 
not  fail  to  understand. 

"  I  don't  understand  you,"  he  returned  hotly. 

"  I  will  not  fail  to  make  my  meaning  quite  plain,"  I 
retorted.  "  And  you  may  not  find  the  course  so  clear 
as  you  think." 

"  What  message  shall  I  have  announced?  " 
14 


2i o  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"That  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg  accepts 
the  high  mission  to  which  she  is  called,  but  that  to- 
night she  is  too  unwell  to  be  present,"  I  answered; 
"  and  let  the  message  be  given  at  once. " 

"We  can't  do  that,"  he  replied,  seeing  my  object — 
to  bind  him  to  this  public  acceptance  of  the  throne  by 
Minna.  "She  must  be  here  in  person  to  make  that 
possible. " 

"If  that  is  not  done  and  at  once,"  I  cried,  going 
close  to  him  and  speaking  the  words  between  my 
teeth,  "  I  myself  will  proclaim  the  fact  that  the  man 
who  was  here  a  minute  since  was  not  the  King,  but 
your  dummy,  and  that  the  whole  thing  is  a  farce  got 
up  by  you  and  these  gentlemen.  You  will  then  have 
to  bring  back  the  King  himself,  and  you  can  judge  as 
well  as  I  how  he  will  view  the  acts  that  have  been 
done  here  to-night,  and  reward  the  actors." 

"You  dare  not  play  the  traitor  in  that  way!  " 

"  Dare  not?  I  dare  do  more  than  that,"  and  I  clipped 
my  words  short  as  I  whispered  them  into  his  ear.  "  I 
dare  stand  up  now  and  tell  the  whole  story  of  your 
double  treachery,  for  I  know  it  all ;  and,  by  God !  if  you 
thwart  me  any  farther  I'll  make  my  words  good  to  the 
last  letter. " 

I  meant  every  syllable  of  the  threat,  and  I  made  this 
perfectly  plain  in  my  manner.  Whether  the  man  was 
actually  afraid  for  himself  I  know  not;  but  he  saw 
clearly  enough  that  any  such  sensational  statement 
made  by  me  at  that  juncture  would  inevitably  result 
in  the  complete  overthrow  of  the  scheme  for  which  he 
had  worked  so  hard. 

"I  don't  affect  to  understand  your  meaning,"  he 
said;  "but  one  way  is  as  good  as  another  to  put  an 
end  to  a  scene  that  must  be  ended  somehow. " 


After  the  Abduction  211 

"  Then  give  the  instructions,  and  let  the  people  see 
that  they  come  from  you,"  and  I  drew  back. 

He  called  the  man  who  had  been  acting  as  herald, 
and  spoke  to  him  in  an  undertone;  and  the  latter  was 
turning  to  the  people  when  I  interposed. 

"  As  this  is  the  first  utterance  from  the  Queen,  you 
had  better  have  the  trumpeters  call  for  silence,  and 
let  the  herald  end  the  declaration  with  the  formal 
prayer,  God  save  the  Queen." 

This  was  done,  though  the  men  round  me  frowned 
in  angry  dissent;  and  as  soon  as  the  announcement 
had  been  made  the  signal  was  given,  the  band  struck 
up  for  the  dancing  to  recommence,  and  the  throng  of 
people  began  to  melt  away  from  the  dais  on  which  we 
had  all  been  collected. 

So  far,  I  felt  I  had  done  the  best  I  could  to  repair 
the  disconcerting  smash-up  of  my  plans,  and  already  I 
had  in  my  thoughts  a  rough  idea  of  the  line  I  would 
take  later  with  the  baron  and  his  friends  of  the  Osten- 
burg  interest.  They  had  outplayed  me  at  my  own 
game,  and  had  dealt  me  a  shrewd  and  clever  stroke, 
which  must  have  completely  defeated  me  but  for  the 
fact  that  I  had  kidnapped  their  man,  the  Duke  Marx. 
For  the  moment  everything  must  yield  to  the  necessity 
of  keeping  him  secure,  and  thus  for  some  hours  at 
least  I  dared  not  say  a  word  to  let  them  know  what 
I  had  done  with  him. 

I  calculated  that  von  Krugen  and  Praga  would  take 
about  five  hours  to  get  to  the  place  where  he  was  con- 
cealed, and  they  would  need  at  least  further  four  or  five 
hours  to  get  him  to  some  other  spot.  That  at  the  least. 
I  had  given  them  a  difficult  piece  of  work,  but  they 
were  both  resolute  and  indeed  desperate  men,  and  I  had 
ample  confidence  that,  given  sufficient  time,  they  would 


212  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

overcome  the  difficulty.  It  was  now  past  midnight, 
and  I  reckoned,  therefore,  that  I  must  hold  my  tongue 
about  the  duke  until  the  following  morning. 

In  the  mean  time  I  had  the  problem  of  Minna's 
whereabouts  to  solve.  I  must  also  ascertain  whether 
the  woman  had  told  anything  of  the  part  which  she 
and  Praga  had  played  together  in  getting  hold  of  the 
duke. 

I  looked  round  the  room  in  search  of  her,  and,  not 
seeing  either  her  or  Steinitz,  I  was  moving  off  the  dais 
to  make  a  tour  of  the  rooms  to  find  her,  when  the  two 
men  Kummell  and  Beilager  stopped  me. 

"You  promised  an  explanation  of  your  conduct," 
said  the  former  in  a  curt,  angry  tone.  "  Be  so  good 
as  to  give  it." 

"  You  will  have  an  ample  explanation  later,  gentle- 
men. Matters  of  greater  moment  are  pressing  me 
now." 

"  Nothing  could  be  of  greater  moment  than  the  rea- 
son for  the  Countess  Minna's  non-appearance  here  to- 
night ;  for  that  statement  about  her  indisposition  was, 
of  course,  untrue. " 

"  It  was  untrue,  as  you  say.  But  until  the  whole 
matter  can  be  told  it  is  a  waste  of  valuable  time  to 
discuss  a  small  part  of  it,"  I  answered  coolly,  although 
the  insult  in  his  tone  and  words  was  more  than  gall- 
ing. 

"  I  differ  from  you,  and  demand  an  explanation  at 
once — or  I  shall  draw  my  own  conclusions." 

"That  is  at  your  discretion.  You  have  taken  a 
course  throughout  this  which  makes  you  largely  re- 
sponsible for  the  result." 

"  Do  you  insinuate  that  we  are  in  any  way  respon- 
sible for  spiriting  away  the  countess? "  he  asked  hotly. 


After  the  Abduction  213 

"  I  must  decline  to  discuss  this  with  you  in  your 
present  frame  of  mind  and  temper.  Your  manner 
to  me  is  an  insinuation  and  an  insult." 

"  You  will  have  to  discuss  it  all  the  same,  or  I  will 
publicly  insult  you  here,  in  the  presence  of  the  whole 
room." 

The  hot-headed  fool  was  likely  to  spoil  everything. 

"That  must  also  be  as  your  indiscretion  prompts 
you,"  I  returned  sharply.  "If  you  think  you  will 
serve  the  interests  of  my  family  by  wrangling  here, 
and  causing  me  to  run  you  through  the  body  after- 
ward, take  your  own  course.  But  you  will  do  far  bet- 
ter to  keep  a  sharp  watch  on  the  man  who  has  appar- 
ently been  duping  you — I  mean  Baron  Heckscher — and 
try  to  thwart  the  deep  scheme  he  has  laid." 

"  I  believe  you  to  be  a  traitor ;  to  have  worked  openly 
for  the  Countess  Minna,  and  secretly  to  have  intrigued 
against  her ;  and  that  you  have  kept  her  out  of  the 
way  purposely  in  the  interests  of  the  Ostenburg  fam- 
ily. You  are  a  spy;  nothing  better." 

"  And  you  are  a  foolish  little  man,  whose  sight  is  as 
short  as  your  temper,  and  whose  wits  are  as  dull  as 
your  silly  suspicions  are  keen.  You  are  the  dupe  of 
the  Baron  Heckscher." 

"  You  shall  answer  to  me  for  this — or  at  least  you 
should,  if  you  were  worthy  of  consideration." 

He  was  so  angry  and  excited  that  he  could  scarcely 
keep  from  striking,  and  this  last  insinuation  of  his  had 
leapt  out  in  his  exasperation. 

I  had  been  expecting  something  of  the  kind,  and  it 
prepared  me  for  the  line  which  the  rest  would  take 
later ;  but  at  that  moment  I  caught  sight  of  Steinitz, 
moving  among  the  crowd  in  the  distance,  and  I  put  an 
end  to  this  altercation  promptly. 


214  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  When  you  know  the  facts,  sir,  you  will  be  far  more 
ready  to  apologize  to  me  than  to  challenge  me.  But  if 
you  should  then  wish  this  matter  to  go  forward,  you 
will  not  find  me  in  the  least  unwilling." 

I  bowed  ceremoniously  and,  putting  on  my  mask 
again,  hurried  away  after  Steinitz. 

It  was  quite  clear  now  that  these  men  had  got  hold 
of  some  tale  from  the  two  lawyers  about  me,  and  the 
baron  was  quite  shrewd  enough,  in  order  to  separate 
from  me  the  only  two  men  among  the  leaders  who 
were  really  loyal  to  Minna,  to  turn  it  to  good  account 
by  proclaiming  me  a  spy  in  the  Ostenburg  interest. 

It  was  an  exceedingly  plausible  story  to  account  for 
my  having  kept  Minna  out  of  the  way.  In  the  mean 
time  my  anxiety  on  her  account  was  growing  very 
keen,  and  had  I  not  known  that  happily  von  Nauheim 
was  laid  by  the  heels  and,  as  I  sincerely  hoped,  badly 
hurt,  I  should  have  been  desperate  enough.  As  it 
was,  however,  I  held  a  hostage  for  her  safety,  and  I 
was  eagerly  impatient  for  the  moment  to  come  when 
I  could  show  the  baron  the  real  strength  of  my 
position. 

Steinitz  pointed  out  to  me  the  actress,  who  had 
thrown  off  her  domino,  and  was  standing  in  the  mid- 
dle of  a  group  of  men  and  women  laughing  and  talking 
merrily.  I  shouldered  my  way  among  the  prome- 
nading dancers  to  a  spot  near  her,  and  then  stood  for- 
ward that  she  might  see  me.  As  soon  as  she  caught 
sight  of  me  she  threw  a  glance  of  angry  defiance  in 
my  direction,  and,  turning  her  back,  recommenced  her 
gay  chatter  with  her  companions.  But  I  was  in  no 
mood  to  let  her  trifle  with  me  nor  to  allow  her  to 
think  she  could  treat  me  as  she  pleased.  I  went  up 
and  requested  an  immediate  interview. 


After  the  Abductio  215 

"Can't  you  see  that  I  am  engaged?  My  dance 
card  is  full,"  she  replied,  with  supercilious  noncha- 
lance. 

"The  business  that  I  have  with  you  cannot  wait,"  I 
said  firmly.  "  And  if  you  cannot  give  me  a  private 
interview,  I  shall  be  compelled  to  discuss  it  here  and 
now  in  public." 

She  looked  at  me  to  see  if  I  were  in  earnest,  and  ap- 
parently came  to  the  conclusion  that  I  was,  for  with  an 
angry  toss  of  the  head  she  said : 

"  I  can  spare  you  three  minutes  until  my  next 
dance." 

I  led  her  to  one  of  the  many  luxurious  cosy  corners 
of  the  place. 

"  You  have  taken  a  very  bitter  revenge,  and  a  very 
cowardly  one,  for  no  real  offence,"  I  said.  "Is  your 
anger  satisfied  with  the  one  stroke,  or  am  I  to  look  for 
another? " 

"  I  warned  you  that  you  had  made  an  enemy  of  me. " 

"  And  you  have  made  the  warning  good.  Have  you 
done  anything  else?  You  know  I  refer  to  your  work 
to-day  at  Friessen. " 

"  If  I  can  harm  you  I  will. " 

"  And  Praga?  " 

"  I  hate  you !  "  she  cried,  with  intense  bitterness. 

"You  have  given  ample  proof  of  that.  Have  you 
betrayed  him  in  regard  to  that  affair  of  to-day? " 

"  I  shall  not  tell  you.  Who  are  you  that  you  should 
cross-question  me  in  this  manner?  I  am  no  servant  of 
yours." 

"  Have  you  told  the  people  for  whom  you  have  to- 
night tricked  me  that  you  have  decoyed  the  Duke 
Marx  into  the  hands  of  those  who,  if  need  be,  will  take 
his  life? " 


216  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

I  struck  home  with  this  thrust;  and  she  glanced 
about  her  in  manifest  alarm. 

"Don't  speak  like  that,"  she  cried  in  a  hurried 
whisper.  "  There  is  no  fear  of  anything-  of  that  kind. " 

"You  mistake,"  I  answered  shortly  and  sternly. 
"  If  anything  happens  to  the  girl  whom  you  have  be- 
trayed to-night,  the  man  whom  you  lured  away  will 
pay  for  it  with  his  life;  and  I  myself  will  explain 
every  detail  of  your  share  in  the  matter. " 

It  was  a  little  cowardly  to  play  on  her  fears  in  this 
way;  but  it  was  not  my  own  safety — it  was  Minna's — 
I  was  fighting  for. 

The  woman's  agitation  increased  with  each  word. 

"  It  must  not  be.  It  shall  not  be.  You  dare  not, " 
she  cried. 

"There  is  no  dare  not  in  schemes  like  these,"  I  an- 
swered grimly. 

"  But  I  was  promised  there  should  be  no  violence. " 

"  You  had  not  then  played  us  false  and  worn  that 
domino. " 

"  I  will  go  at  once  and  tell  all  I  know,"  she  exclaimed 
excitedly. 

Good.     She  had  not  told. 

"  It  is  too  late.  You  were  the  decoy,  but  the  duke 
is  now  in  the  hands  of  my  men,  and  no  power  on  earth 
can  save  him  if  I  but  issue  the  order.  Do  you  think 
I  do  my  work  so  poorly  as  to  leave  him  where  you,  or 
those  whom  you  send,  could  find  him? " 

She  sat,  her  fingers  interlocked  and  her  eyes  staring 
in  a  fixed,  set  gaze  of  abject  fright,  while  her  breath 
came  and  went  with  quick  catches  of  agitation. 

"  You  have  played  the  subtle  part  of  double  treach- 
ery, and  you  will  find  it  deadly  dangerous,"  I  went  on 
sternly. 


After  the  Abduction  217 

It  was  necessary  to  frighten  her  thoroughly  for  the 
object  I  had,  and  I  let  a  couple  of  minutes  pass  in 
silence,  while  this  conviction  of  her  danger  forced  it- 
self home.  Then  I  opened  the  door  of  relief. 

"  It  rests  with  you  to  save  his  life,  and  your  own, 
and  Praga's,"  I  said. 

She  was  too  panic-stricken  to  act,  and  the  hope  in 
her  face  at  my  words  made  me  rejoice. 

"  Save  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg.  Help 
me  to  find  her." 

The  light  died  out  as  suddenly  as  it  had  come. 

"  I  cannot.     I  know  nothing  of  her  whereabouts." 

"  Tell  me  all  you  know  about  this  trick  by  which 
you  personated  her." 

At  that  moment  a  man  dressed  as  a  Venetian  gon- 
dolier approached  to  claim  her  for  a  dance. 

"  I  must  know  everything  at  once,"  I  whispered  hur- 
riedly. "  You  must  refuse  him. " 

It  was  a  test  of  my  power.  If  she  went  off  to  dance 
I  should  accept  it  as  a  sign  of  defeat. 

"  I  must  not  refuse.     I  dare  not,"  she  said  nervously. 

"You  understand  what  it  means,"  I  replied  in  the 
same  undertone. 

The  man  came  up,  and  the  nervous  movements  of 
my  companion's  fingers  showed  me  something  of  her 
agitation. 

"  This  is  our  dance,  I  think,"  he  murmured,  bowing. 

"  Yes,  I — yes,  it  is,"  and  she  half  rose  from  her  seat, 
but  then  sank  back  again.  "  But  I  am  not  quite  well 
enough  to  dance.  I  am  sitting  here  for  the  cooler  air. 
Please  excuse  me." 

"Permit  me  to  sit  it  out  with  you  then,"  he  said, 
and  he  turned  toward  me  as  if  expecting  me  to  give 
way. 


2i 8  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

I  did  not  budge,  of  course,  but  stared  out  in  front  of 
me  as  if  I  had  not  seen  his  look. 

"  I  am  sorry,  but — a  friend  has — has  brought  me 
some  important — news,  and  it  has  distressed  me — and 
I  wish  to  continue  the  conversation." 

It  was  as  clumsy  an  excuse  as  any  child  in  her  teens 
could  have  mumbled  out,  and  given  in  a  manner  alto- 
gether unlike  her  own.  But  fortunately  the  man  took 
umbrage  at  the  obvious  slight,  and  with  a  stiff  bow 
went  off. 

I  had  won  again. 

"  Now  you  can  tell  me  all  you  know. " 

"Wait  a  moment.  Let  me  be  quiet,  or  I  shall 
faint." 

She  was  now  trembling  violently,  and  I  sat  waiting 
until  she  should  have  recovered  her  self-composure 
sufficiently  to  tell  me  the  news  I  was  burning  to  learn. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

THE      MAID'S      STORY 

"I  HAVE  really  very  little  to  tell  you,"  said  the  ac- 
tress after  a  long  silence,  in  which  she  had  been  mak- 
ing strenuous  efforts  to  recover  self-possession.  "I 
know  very  little.  I  have  known,  of  course,  for  a  long 
time  that  there  was  to  be  special  interest  attaching  to 
the  proceedings  here  to-night,  and  for  Signer  Praga's 
sake  I  had  learned  all  that  I  could." 

"  I  wish  to  know  the  particular  facts  in  connection 
with  your  taking  the  place  of  the  countess,  that's  all," 
for  the  time  was  slipping  by  and  my  anxiety  on  Minna's 
account  was  growing  to  fever  heat. 

"  I  was  merely  told  that  I  had  to  play  the  part  of 
another  woman,  and  that  I  was  to  be  paid  for  doing 
so.  More  than  that,  I  was  given  to  understand  that 
in  the  event  of  the  matter  being  carried  through  suc- 
cessfully I  should  gain  the  favor  of  some  of  those  high 
in  authority." 

"  Do  you  mean  you  were  doing  this  for  money  only? " 

"  No,  but  because  I  believed  there  was  some  other 
great  advantage  to  be  gained." 

"  Did  you  tell  Praga?  " 

"  No.  Why  should  I  tell  him  everything?  I  did  not 
know  for  certain  until  my  return  to-night  what  was 
really  intended.  I  might  have  drawn  back  then  if  I 
could — if  I  had  not  also  known  that  I  should  be  deal- 
ing a  blow  at  you  and  revenging  myself. " 


22O  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  How  did  you  get  possession  of  the  countess's  dom- 
ino, and  when  did  you  take  her  place  by  the  side  of  the 
man  guarding  her? " 

"  I  did  not  get  her  domino.  The  one  I  wore  was 
ready  for  me  when  I  arrived  here  to-night.  Some  one 
had  described  exactly  the  dress  the  Countess  Minna 
was  to  wear,  and  everything  was  ready  for  me  when  I 
arrived." 

"  Did  you  know  it  was  the  Countess  Minna  you  were 
to  personate?" 

"  Yes.  I  was  not  told,  but  I  guessed ;  and  when  they 
told  me  that  you  would  come  up  to  me  and  lead  me 
forward  to  the  throne,  I  knew  of  course  all  that  was 
meant.  I  did  not  do  all  I  was  told  to  do,  however.  I 
was  to  have  kept  my  mask  on  and  to  have  walked  across 
the  room  with  you  to  the  dais,  and  then  have  thrown 
it  off,  to  shame  and  confuse  you  before  every  one." 

"  And  why  didn't  you?  " 

"  I  preferred  to  enjoy  my  revenge  privately.  And 
I  had  it  when  I  saw  your  look  of  dismay  on  catching 
sight  of  my  face. " 

"  And  how  was  the  change  effected? " 

"  Simply  and  easily  enough.  Some  of  those  in  the 
secret  began  to  crowd  and  crush  round  the  Countess 
Minna;  others  resented  this,  a  confusion  was  caused, 
and  in  the  moment  I  slipped  into  her  place,  while 
some  one  made  up  to  look  like  the  man  with  her  went 
up  and  led  her,  as  he  said,  to  a  place  of  refuge  from 
the  pressure  of  the  crowd." 

"Where  did  they  take  her? "  I  asked  anxiously. 

"  I  don't  know.  I  know  no  more  than  yourself  what 
happened  afterward.  I  had  not  been  in  my  place 
more  than  a  few  minutes  before  you  came  up  to  me. 
You  know  the  rest." 


The  Maid's  Story  221 

"  Who  told  you  all  our  plans  and  made  this  thing 
possible?" 

For  it  was  clear  that  I  had  been  betrayed  by  some 
one  in  our  closest  confidence — some  one  who  knew  even 
of  the  secret  mark  on  Minna's  domino.  It  was  no 
mere  case  of  her  having  been  seen  and  recognized 
while  at  the  ball ;  for  the  dress  had  obviously  been 
ready  before  Minna  herself  had  arrived. 

"  I  was  not  told,"  replied  my  companion. 

Whoever  it  was,  the  betrayal  had  been  complete.  I 
had  been  allowed  to  think  that  my  ruse  of  substituting 
the  waiting-maid  Marie  for  her  mistress  had  been  suc- 
cessful ;  and  just  when  I  had  thought  everything  safe 
I  had  the  mine  sprung  right  under  my  feet.  They 
had  reckoned  I  should  be  all  unconscious  of  such  a 
stroke,  and  unfortunately  they  had  reckoned  correctly. 

But  who  was  the  traitor?  This  was  no  plan  that 
could  be  laid  in  an  hour.  It  showed  that  from  the 
first  there  had  been  some  leakage  by  which  my  whole 
scheme  was  carried  over  to  my  enemies ;  and  it  ap- 
peared to  me  that  it  must  lie  between  two  people,  the 
Baroness  Gratz  and  the  waiting-maid  Marie. 

"  Who  gave  you  your  instructions?  "  I  asked  sharply. 

"  I  will  not  tell  you,"  was  the  equally  sharp  reply, 
and  though  pressed  she  held  to  her  refusal. 

"  Have  you  seen  the  Count  von  Nauheim  here  to- 
night? " 

"  No,  he  is  not  here. " 

"  How  do  you  know?  " 

"  I  overheard  surprise  expressed  at  his  absence." 

"  Can  you  give  any  clew  as  to  where  I  shall  find  the 
Countess  Minna? " 

u  No,  none  whatever.  I  know  no  more  than  you 
yourself." 


222  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

It  was  useless  to  ask  any  more  questions.  It  was 
clear  that  she  had  been  used  as  a  tool  for  this  particu- 
lar task,  and  had  been  trusted  no  further.  I  must  seek 
my  information  elsewhere;  from  either  von  Nauheim, 
if  I  could  find  him,  or  from  Baron  Heckscher. 

But  I  was  altogether  unwilling-  to  see  the  latter  until 
sufficient  time  had  passed  for  von  Krugen  and  Praga 
to  have  secured  the  person  of  the  Duke  Marx. 

It  was  a  sheer  impossibility,  however,  for  me  to  re- 
main inactive  while  Minna  was  in  the  hands  of  her 
enemies,  and  I  resolved  to  try  to  trace  von  Nauheim. 
From  what  the  actress  told  me,  it  appeared  probable 
either  that  his  accident  in  the  carriage  with  me  had 
hurt  him  sufficiently  to  prevent  his  coming  to  the  ball, 
or  else  that  he  had  found  it  difficult  to  escape  from  the 
hands  of  the  men  whom  he  had  planned  should  hold 
me.  In  either  event  he  would  be  unable  to  get  to 
Minna,  and  so  long  as  that  was  the  case  her  danger 
was  proportionately  less. 

But  I  must  find  him  if  possible ;  for  the  suspense  of 
the  present  uncertainty  was  maddening. 

I  crossed  to  Steinitz,  and  telling  him  to  follow  me 
I  threaded  my  way  through  the  laughing,  gossiping, 
excited  throng  and  made  my  way  to  the  nearest  exit. 

In  the  anteroom  through  which  I  had  to  pass  a 
group  of  men  were  standing  deep  in  conversation. 
Among  them  were  several  of  the  leaders  of  the  move- 
ment, and  I  recognized,  to  my  annoyance,  Kummell 
and  Beilager  among  them. 

Kummell  was,  as  usual,  gesticulating  rather  wildly, 
and  on  catching  sight  of  me  he  stepped  forward  and 
barred  my  progress. 

"Here  is  the  traitor,  gentlemen,"  he  cried  angrily. 
"We  have  caught  him  in  the  very  act  of  trying  to 


The  Maid's  Story  223 

sneak  away.  You  won't  pass  here,  my  fine  fellow,  I 
can  tell  you." 

It  was  the  very  climax  of  irony  that  this  man,  who 
should  have  been  so  valuable  an  ally,  should  in  this 
way  be  perpetually  crossing  and  thwarting  me.  In 
my  angry  mood  at  the  moment  I  could  have  found  it 
in  me  to  strike  him. 

"That  has  yet  to  be  proved,"  I  answered  as  quietly 
as  my  anger  would  permit. 

An  audible  sneer  ran  round  the  group. 

"  I  will  prove  it,  for  I  will  stop  you,"  and  he  planted 
himself  right  in  front  of  me,  put  his  arms  akimbo,  and 
stared  me  insolently  in  the  face. 

"  Good!"  exclaimed  one  or  two  of  the  others. 

I  took  off  my  mask  before  I  answered.  His  insult- 
ing, swaggering  manner  was  almost  more  than  I  could 
brook,  although  I  knew  the  other  men  were  deliber- 
ately endeavoring  to  provoke  a  fight,  and,  further, 
that  it  would  be  the  height  of  folly  for  two  men  who 
were  in  reality  heart  and  soul  together  in  pursuit  of 
the  same  object  to  go  out  and  try  to  kill  each  other. 

"You  can  scarcely  be  in  earnest,  Herr  Kummell,"  I 
said,  after  a  pause.  "  I  have  already  told  you  once  to- 
night that  later  on  I  shall  be  ready  to  hold  myself  at 
your  disposal,  should  you  wish  it.  We  are  still  in  the 
precincts  of  the  palace,  and  the  business  of  the  night 
is  one  on  which  you  and  I  are  in  heart  agreed.  There 
are  those  here  whom  nothing  would  please  better  than 
to  see  us  two  crossing  swords ;  and  it  is  they  who  are 
the  traitors  " — I  looked  round  at  the  rest — "  and  if  any 
one  of  them  is  minded  to  make  this  quarrel  his  own 
he  will  not  find  me  backward.  But  with  you  and  Herr 
Beilager  I  will  not  fight  at  present. " 

"I   shall  not  allow  you  to  pass   for  all   your  big 


224  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

words,"  said  the  little  hot-headed  fool  in  the  same 
tone. 

"  The  work  I  have  is  too  urgent  to  be  delayed  now. 
Stand  aside,  if  you  please,"  I  answered  sternly. 

"  You  shall  not  pass  here. " 

"  'Fore  God,  sir,  take  care,  or  you  will  drive  me  to 
do  that  which  I  may  regret."  I  thundered  the  words 
out,  and  putting  on  as  stern  and  fierce  a  look  as  I  could 
I  moved  on.  He  stood  his  ground  a  moment,  but  then 
winced  and  retreated  a  step. 

At  this  a  taunting,  jeering  laugh  came  from  one  of 
the  rest. 

I  wheeled  round  instantly  upon  the  group,  and,  not 
knowing  which  of  the  men  it  was,  I  picked  out  the 
biggest  of  them  and,  walking  up  to  him  till  my  face 
was  close  to  his,  I  stared  him  dead  in  the  eyes  for  some 
seconds. 

"  Did  you  do  me  the  honor  to  speak,  sir?  " 

"  No,  I  did  not,"  he  answered. 

I  turned  to  the  rest. 

*'  One  of  you  gentlemen  either  spoke  or  sneered. 
Which  of  you  was  it?  I  am  rather  anxious  to  show 
him  that  it  is  not  altogether  safe  to  play  in  this  way 
with  me."  I  stared  at  each  of  them  in  turn,  but  none 
said  a  word. 

"To-morrow,  Herr  Kummell,"  I  said  then  to  the  lit- 
tle man,  whose  fierceness  had  very  much  abated,  "  you 
may  look  for  the  explanation  I  have  promised  you; 
and  as  soon  as  the  business  on  which  I  am  urgently 
engaged  is  finished  I  shall  be  at  your  service,"  and 
with  that  I  swung  forward  out  of  the  place,  nor  was 
there  any  longer  the  least  attempt  made  to  interfere 
with  me. 

The  incident  ruffled  my  temper  considerably,  and  I 


The  Maid's  Story  225 

went  hurriedly  out  into  the  night  and  set  off  at  a  sharp 
pace  for  the  Gramberg  house,  when  Steinitz  came  up 
and  whispered  a  word  or  two  about  the  need  for  cau- 
tion. 

"Won't  you  drive  home?"  he  asked.  "To  walk 
seems  like  inviting  an  attack. " 

"No,  I'll  walk.  The  air  will  do  me  good.  No  one 
will  be  expecting  me  to  do  so ;  and  I  will  be  on  my 
guard." 

In  truth  I  did  not  know  what  my  opponents'  next 
move  against  me  might  be.  It  was  not  at  all  improb- 
able that,  as  they  had  now  the  knowledge  which  would 
enable  them  to  accuse  me  of  imposture,  they  would 
deem  it  needless  to  run  any  risks  by  attacking  me  with 
violence.  They  could  probably  get  at  me  by  some 
kind  of  legal  process. 

I  did  not  care  in  the  least.  I  had  no  thought  except 
the  overpowering  desire  and  resolve  to  find  Minna  and 
rescue  her.  I  was  indifferent  to  all  else. 

It  was  therefore  with  intense  pleasure  that  I  learned 
when  I  reached  the  house  that  there  was  important 
news.  The  maid,  Marie,  had  arrived  there  about  half 
an  hour  previously,  and  was  waiting  in  feverish  anxi- 
ety to  tell  me  her  story.  I  was  no  less  anxious  to 
hear  it. 

"Tell  me  as  plainly  and  as  shortly  as  you  can,"  I 
said,  "everything  that  has  passed  since  you  left  the 
palace  with  the  baroness  up  to  this  moment." 

"  The  first  thing  I  noticed  was  that  there  was  a  stran- 
ger on  the  box  as  coachman,  and  that  there  were  also 
two  strangers  on  the  board  behind.  We  drove  away 
slowly  through  the  lines  of  people  and  until  we  had 
gone  about  half  a  mile.  Then  the  carriage  turned 
away  to  the  right,  and  began  to  thread  a  number  of 


226  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

streets,  the  pace  gradually  increasing  until  the  out- 
skirts of  the  town  were  reached.  There  the  carriage 
stopped  with  a  jerk,  and  a  stranger  sprang  in  and  took 
his  seat  opposite  to  us. 

" '  Do  not  be  alarmed,  ladies, '  he  said,  '  but  the  Prince 
desires  you  should  call  first  at  the  house  of  Baron 
Heckscher  to  complete  certain  details.'  I  made  no 
opposition,  because  you  had  told  me  not  to  speak  a 
word  if  I  could  avoid  doing  so ;  and  thus  we  drove  on 
for  about  half  an  hour  at  a  rapid  pace." 

"  Do  you  know  the  road? "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  it  was  the  Linden  road.  Then  the  carriage 
turned  in  through  some  side  gates,"  continued  the 
girl,  " and  we  drew  up  at  the  door  of  a  large  house." 

" '  You  will  come  in, '  said  the  man,  alighting  and 
leading  the  way.  I  noticed  a  large  number  of  men 
about,  who  took  careful  heed  of  us,  as  we  were  led 
into  a  room  at  the  far  end  of  a  long  corridor.  There 
we  were  left  for  a  few  minutes  alone,  when  the  stran- 
ger came  back  to  us. 

"'I  have  to  tell  you  now,'  he  said  to  the  baroness, 
'  that  it  will  be  necessary  for  you  to  remain  here  some 
time.  Reasons  of  State  have  made  it  desirable  that 
you  should  be  separated  from  those  whom  you  have 
hitherto  looked  on  as  your  friends ;  but,  of  course,  no 
harm  will  come  to  you,  and  the  detention  will  only  be 
for  a  few  hours.  You  will  not  need  an  attendant,  bar- 
oness, as  this  young  woman  ' — waving  his  hand  toward 
me — '  can  transfer  to  you  the  services  she  is  accus- 
tomed to  render  to  her  mistress,  the  Countess  Minna. ' 

" '  What  do  you  mean,  sir? '  I  asked,  for  I  could  not 
keep  quiet. 

" '  That  it  is  perfectly  well  known  to  me  that  you 
are  not  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg,  but  merely 


The  Maid's  Story  227 

her  waiting-maid.  You  will  therefore  be  good  enough 
to  attend  to  the  baroness, '  and  with  that  he  went  out 
of  the  room." 

"  And  the  baroness? "  I  asked  eagerly. 

"  I  was  so  overcome  at  learning  that  the  scheme  had 
got  known  to  them,  and  that,  therefore,  the  danger  to 
my  dear  young  mistress  was  as  great  as  ever,  perhaps 
greater,  that  I  did  not  know  what  to  say,  or  think,  or 
do.  The  baroness  seemed  to  think  I  had  been  guilty 
of  treachery,  but,  your  Highness,  I  would  die  sooner 
than  be  the  means  of  any  harm  coming  to  my  mis- 
tress," cried  the  girl,  with  what  appeared  to  me  to  be 
the  energy  of  truth,  and  with  the  tears  in  her  eyes. 

" '  Have  you  told  any  one  of  this  change? '  the 
baroness  asked  me,  and,  despite  my  utter  protests,  I 
could  not  make  her  believe  that  I  had  not.  I  sat  there 
utterly  miserable,  only  thinking  and  fearing  what 
might  happen  to  my  mistress. 

''The  baroness  would  not  speak  to  me,  and  hour 
after  hour  passed  in  this  awful  suspense.  They 
brought  us  food,  but  I  could  not  touch  it,  though  the 
baroness  ate  some,  and  told  me  to  do  the  same.  But  I 
could  not.  The  dreadful  thought  of  my  mistress'  dan- 
ger seemed  to  shut  out  everything  else,  even  anger  at 
these  suspicions  of  treachery." 

"  Well,  how  did  you  get  away?  "  I  asked  as  she 
paused.  "  Stay,  will  you  know  the  house  again?  And 
could  you  guide  me  to  it? " 

"Yes,  your  Highness,"  was  the  ready  answer. 

I  sent  for  Steimtz  and  told  him  to  have  a  carriage 
got  ready  for  me  at  once. 

"After  we  had  been  thus  for  some  hours,"  the  girl 
resumed  when  I  turned  to  her  again,  "I  thought  I 
heard  the  sound  of  a  horse  galloping  up  to  the  house, 


228  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  about  an  hour  later  the  same  man  came  to  our 
room. 

" '  You  can  get  ready  to  go.  We  have  done  with 
you,'  he  said  bluntly  to  me.  'I  regret  it  is  impossible 
to  release  you  yet,  baroness;  but  your  niece  will  cer- 
tainly have  need  of  you,  and  you  will  probably  wish 
to  be  with  her  again. ' 

"  '  Can  I  not  go  to  my  mistress? '  I  asked,  in  distress 
at  the  thought  of  her  being  in  this  man's  power. 

'"No,  you  can  return  to  the  Prince  von  Gramberg, 
and  tell  him  the  next  time  he  plans  a  coup  to  do  it 
more  shrewdly. ' 

"  I  wrung  my  hands  in  despair  and  prayed  and 
begged  of  him  to  let  me  go  to  the  countess ;  but  he 
scowled  and  frowned  me  down  and  ordered  me  to  be 
silent.  Then  he  led  me  away  alone  to  where  a  car- 
riage was  waiting  for  me,  and  after  I  had  been  driven 
back  to  the  city  they  set  me  down,  and  I  hurried  here 
as  fast  as  I  could. " 

I  had  already  resolved  to  go  to  the  place,  although 
it  was  almost  certain  I  should  not  find  Minna  there. 

"  Get  ready  to  go  with  me.  You  will  take  your  place 
by  the  coachman  and  direct  him  where  to  drive; "  and 
after  a  rapid  change  of  dress  I  armed  myself  and  set 
out  for  the  house  where  the  girl  had  been  detained,  bid- 
ding the  man  drive  as  fast  as  his  horses  could  travel. 


CHAPTER  XX 

COVERING    MY    DEFEAT 

As  I  rode  through  the  quickly  brightening  dawn  I 
endeavored  to  piece  together  some  plan  of  action  for 
this  visit  to  the  house ;  but  it  was  obvious  I  should 
have  to  be  guided  largely  by  what  might  occur.  It 
was  exceedingly  improbable  that  I  should  find  Minna 
there.  It  seemed  in  the  highest  degree  improbable 
that  they  would  have  let  the  girl  Marie  out  in  such 
a  way  if  they  had  intended  to  take  Minna  to  the  same 
house ;  for  they  would  have  known  I  should  go  there 
at  once.  Certainly  they  did  not  intend  me  to  know 
Minna's  whereabouts. 

There  were  other  considerations,  moreover.  Marie 
herself  might  still  be  playing  me  false,  or  these  men 
might  be  using  her  as  a  decoy  to  lure  me  into  a  trap. 
I  was  inclined  to  the  latter  view.  I  believed  the  girl 
to  be  true  to  her  mistress,  and  I  read  the  detention  of 
the  Baroness  Gratz,  judged  by  what  the  girl  had  said 
of  her  manner,  to  indicate  that  the  treachery  was  hers, 
and  not  the  girl's.  In  any  event  I  must  be  on  my 
guard. 

I  felt  that  until  I  could  make  the  Baron  Heckscher 
understand  that  any  harm  to  either  Minna  or  myself 
would  be  the  signal  for  the  death  of  the  Duke  Marx 
there  might  be  danger  for  us  both. 

For  Minna's  sake — seeing  that  her  helplessness  would 
be  vastly  increased  were  anything  to  happen  to  me — I 


230  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

must  run  no  unnecessary  personal  risks.  I  would  use 
the  occasion  only  therefore  to  endeavor  to  ascertain 
where  Minna  had  been  carried.  After  a  few  hours, 
as  soon,  that  was,  as  I  could  safely  communicate  with 
Baron  Heckscher,  the  axis  of  the  danger  would  be 
shifted. 

Presently  the  carriage  stopped,  and  I  was  told  that 
we  were  near  the  house.  Calculating  that  if  any  mis- 
chief were  meant  a  secret  approach  would  be  as  dan- 
gerous as  an  open  one,  I  ordered  the  coachman  to  drive 
straight  up  to  the  door,  and  I  jumped  out,  and  myself 
thundered  at  the  heavy  knocker,  and  pealed  away 
loudly  at  the  bell. 

The  noise  awoke  the  echoes  of  the  still,  heavy,  morn- 
ing air,  but  for  a  long  time  received  no  attention  from 
within  the  house.  I  grew  impatient,  and  walked 
round  it,  examining  the  windows,  which  for  the  most 
part  were  closely  shuttered. 

I  went  back  to  the  door,  and  knocked  and  rang 
again ;  and  then  a  window  at  the  top  of  the  house  was 
opened,  and  an  old  man  put  out  his  head  and  asked 
what  was  the  matter. 

"  Come  down  to  the  door  at  once,"  I  replied  peremp- 
torily. 

"What  for?" 

"Come  down,"  I  cried  angrily.  "At  once.  I  order 
you  in  the  name  of  the  Queen — or  I  shall  have  the 
door  broken  in." 

The  head  was  withdrawn  and  I  thought  I  could  hear 
the  sounds  of  a  muffled  conference. 

"  Who  are  you  and  what  do  you  want? "  said  the  old 
fellow,  putting  out  his  head  again. 

"  I  order  you  in  the  name  of  the  Queen  to  do  as  I 
have  said,"  I  answered,  rather  liking  the  sound  of  the 


Covering   My  Defeat  231 

formula.  It  served  my  purpose,  for  the  man  drew  in 
his  head  muttering  he  would  be  down  in  a  minute. 

"Are  you  sure  this  is  the  house?"  I  asked  the  girl 
Marie. 

"Positive.  I  will  lead  you  straight  to  the  room," 
she  returned. 

I  waited  impatiently  until  I  heard  some  one  fumbling 
with  the  fastenings  of  the  door,  and  after  a  minute  it 
was  opened  by  the  old  man,  partially  dressed  and  yawn- 
ing heavily. 

"  I  have  come  for  the  Baroness  Gratz  and  her  com- 
panion," I  said  sharply  as  I  stepped  into  the  hall. 
"  Let  them  be  roused  at  once." 

"  There's  no  baroness  here,"  said  the  man. 

"Who  is  in  the  house,  then? "  I  asked. 

The  old  fellow  looked  at  me  shrewdly. 

"  There  are  more  than  enough  to  guard  it;  but  there 
are  no  ladies,"  he  answered. 

"That  I  shall  see  for  myself,"  said  I,  and  I  called 
Marie  and  told  her  to  show  me  the  way  to  the  room 
where  she  and  the  baroness  had  been  kept. 

The  old  man  followed,  protesting  at  every  step  ener- 
getically. 

"This  is  the  room,  your  Highness,"  said  the  girl, 
laying  her  hand  on  the  door. 

I  opened  it  and  looked  in.     It  was  empty  and  dark. 

"How  long  have  you  been  in  the  house?"  I  asked 
the  old  man,  on  whom  the  mention  of  the  term  "  high- 
ness "  had  produced  a  marked  effect. 

"I  live  here,  my  lord,"  he  answered  in  a  tone  of 
much  greater  respect. 

"  Were  you  here  this  afternoon  and  evening? "  and  I 
took  out  a  couple  of  gold  pieces  so  that  he  could  see  them. 

"  No,  your  Highness,"  he  said,  with  a  bow — the  mere 


232  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

sight  of  them  had  given  me  a  step  in  the  peerage  in 
his  opinion.  u  I  was  away  in  the  country  this  morning 
and  only  returned  late." 

"Were  there  two  ladies  here  when  you  returned? " 

"Not  that  I  know  of,  sire." 

"  Was  your  master  here? " 

"No,  sire.     He  is  away." 

"  Who  is  your  master? " 

He  looked  astonished. 

"Herr  Schemmell,  your  Grace." 

"And  were  the  preparations  all  complete  at  Herr 
Schemmell 's  country-seat  when  you  left — the  prepara- 
tions for  the  expected  guests,  I  mean?" 

The  shot  told ;  for  he  started  and  looked  up  and  I 
thought  he  was  going  to  reply,  when  a  stolid,  sullen 
look  settled  on  his  face  and  he  was  silent. 

I  jingled  the  two  gold  pieces  and  added  a  third,  and 
then  on  my  side  I  was  considerably  startled,  for  a  deep 
voice  said  from  behind  me : 

"The  bribery  of  a  servant  is  not  a  very  princely 
employment. " 

"  Who  are  you,  sir? "  I  cried,  turning  quickly  on  the 
newcomer. 

"  Some  one  to  whom  you  will  be  good  enough  to  ad- 
dress any  further  questions,  if  you  please.  Ludwig, 
go  away."  The  old  man  shambled  off  down  the  long 
corridor.  "  And  now,  sir,  you  will  be  well  advised  to 
leave  the  house — while  the  way  is  open.  You  may 
find  it  difficult  later. " 

"  That  may  be  as  it  will,  but  I  am  not  going  until  I 
have  effected  my  purpose  and  satisfied  myself  that 
those  whom  I  seek  are  not  here."  I  spoke  resolutely. 

"  You  are  a  trespasser,  and  will  be  good  enough  to 
leave  when  I  tell  you." 


Covering  My  Defeat  233 

"  This  is  the  house  to  which  those  whom  I  seek  were 
kidnapped  and  brought,  and  I  will  not  leave  until  I 
have  searched  it." 

"  One  of  the  persons  kidnapped  is  by  your  side  now," 
said  he,  pointing  to  the  girl;  "but  you  will  not  be 
allowed  to  search  the  house.  If  you  attempt  it,  you 
will  be  detained  and  given  an  excellent  opportunity  of 
searching  one  of  the  cellars,  but  no  more. " 

"  You  dare  not  interfere  with  me.  I  am  no  woman !  " 
said  I  hotly. 

"You  will  be  well  advised  to  moderate  your  lan- 
guage. You  are  one  man,  we  are  many.  You  have 
forced  yourself  into  this  house,  and,  if  we  deal  harshly 
with  you,  you  will  have  only  yourself  to  blame.  Per- 
sonally, I  have  no  wish  to  do  you  any  hurt.  You  have 
served  our  turn,  and  can  do  no  further  harm." 

I  bit  my  lip  in  vexation. 

"  Is  the  Baroness  Grata  in  the  house,  or  the  Countess 
Minna  von  Gramberg? "  I  asked  after  a  pause  of  em- 
barrassment. 

"  I  decline  to  answer  your  questions.  And  again  I 
warn  you  to  leave,  or  I  will  not  be  responsible  for  the 
consequences. " 

"  I  will  search  the  house !  "  I  exclaimed,  and,  without 
further  words,  I  plunged  along  the  corridor,  trying  to 
open  the  doors  of  the  rooms  which  I  passed. 

They  were  all  locked,  and  when  I  turned  to  the  stair- 
case it  was  only  to  find  that  a  couple  of  men  armed 
with  revolvers  had  been  posted  there  to  prevent  my 
ascending. 

"  Stand  aside  and  let  me  pass!  "  I  cried  firmly. 

"You  will  fire,  if  necessary,"  commanded  the  man 
who  had  followed  me,  and  he  took  up  a  place  by  them. 
Then  to  me  he  added :  "  My  patience  is  exhausted  now, 


234  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  I  will  give  you  three  minutes  only  to  leave  the 
house.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  doors  will  be  closed, 
and  I  shall  keep  you  here  a  prisoner.  You  are  but  one 
against  a  dozen,  and  can  do  nothing.  It  will  be  sheer 
madness  to  attempt  to  resist  us. " 

I  saw  this  well  enough ;  but  the  thought  of  the  igno- 
minious failure  to  get  even  information  galled  and  mad- 
dened me.  But  it  would  have  been  greater  madness  to 
resist. 

"  Will  you  give  me  a  moment  in  private?  "  I  asked  the 
man. 

He  came  aside  with  me  readily. 

"  Can  you  give  me  any  assurance  that  my  cousin,  the 
Countess  Minna,  is  safe?" 

"  I  have  no  instructions  to  give  you  any  information 
whatever,  but  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge  she  is  per- 
fectly safe." 

"Where  is  the  Count  von  Nauheim?" 

"  I  decline  to  tell  you,  sir,"  he  answered  curtly,  and  I 
could  get  no  more  from  him. 

Thus,  baffled  and  exasperated,  I  left  the  house. 

I  had  gained  little  or  nothing  definite  by  my  venture, 
and  yet,  despite  my  disappointment,  I  was  in  a  sense 
relieved  of  some  of  my  anxiety  in  regard  to  Minna's 
safety.  Whether  she  was  in  the  house  or  not  I  could 
not  say,  and,  until  I  had  seen  Baron  Heckscher,  I  had 
not  ventured  to  take  any  too  desperate  steps  to  ascer- 
tain ;  but  as  I  drove  back  to  the  house  I  determined  on 
a  much  bolder  measure  to  take  presently. 

I  stopped  the  carriage  a  little  way  from  the  house, 
and  sent  back  the  coachman  to  wait  and  watch  if  the 
baroness  or  Minna  left  the  place,  and  told  the  man  to 
remain  until  Steinitz  should  relieve  him.  I  drove  the 
carriage  home,  and  then  despatched  Steinitz  with  in- 


Covering  My   Defeat  235 

structions  to  keep  a  strict  watch  on  any  movements 
from  the  house,  and  particularly  to  follow  Minna  should 
she  leave  the  house. 

As  I  knew  that  I  must  have  a  trying  day  before  me, 
I  lay  down  for  an  hour  or  two  until  the  time  for  my 
visit  to  Baron  Heckscher. 

I  arrived  at  his  house  just  as  he  was  in  the  act  of 
starting  for  a  meeting  of  the  Council  of  State,  which 
had  been  hurriedly  summoned. 

"  I  cannot  stay  to  speak  to  you  now,  sir.  I  have  to 
go  out,"  he  said  shortly. 

"  On  the  contrary,  you  cannot  go  out  until  you  have 
spoken  to  me,"  I  replied,  copying  his  manner. 

"  This  is  no  time  for  play-acting, "  he  said  significantly. 
"  There  are  serious  matters  of  State  to  be  settled,  caused 
by  your  trickery  or  treachery." 

"  You  are  an  authority  on  the  latter,  at  any  rate.  But  I 
have  not  come  to  bandy  words.  I  wish  to  know  where 
the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg  has  been  carried,  and 
to  demand  her  instant  and  unconditional  release. " 

"  In  what  character  do  you  demand  that  informa- 
tion? "  he  said,  with  a  sneer. 

"As  her  cousin,  the  Prince  von  Gramberg." 

"  The  Prince.     You  still  hold  to  that  farce? " 

"  Be  good  enough  to  explain  what  you  mean." 

"  Simply  that  you  are  no  more  the  Prince  von  Gram- 
berg than  I  am,  but  Heinrich  Fischer,  an  ex-play-actor. 
Do  you  dare  to  deny  that?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do. " 

He  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"  Then  who  are  you?  " 

"  For  the  present,  and  for  the  purposes  of  this  inter- 
view, I  am  the  Prince  von  Gramberg,  and  you  will  be 
good  enough  so  to  regard  me. " 


236  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  Swashbuckling  talk  is  of  no  use  to  frighten  me,  and 
I  have  no  time  for  any  further  antics  of  }^ours.  You 
deceived  me  for  a  time,  I  admit,  but  I  know  you  now, 
and,  unless  you  leave  my  house,  I  will  call  my  servants, 
and  have  you  expelled  from  it  and  handed  over  to  the 
police  for  an  impostor." 

"No,  Baron  Heckscher,  you  will  not,"  I  answered 
firmly,  shaking  my  head.  "  I  know  the  whole  of  this 
inner  plot  of  yours,  and  can  expose  it,  and  will,  too,  as 
I  told  you  last  night." 

"Possibly  an  effective  weapon  in  a  stage-play,"  he 
sneered.  "  But  I  have  no  time  for  folly  of  this  sort. ' 

He  crossed  the  room  to  the  bell,  and  stretched  out 
his  hand  as  if  to  ring  it. 

"  I  know  the  scheme  to  marry  my  cousin  to  a  man 
already  married,  and  so  to  betray  and  ruin  her.  And, 
mark  me,  if  you  attempt  to  send  me  away,  I  will  go 
straight  to  Berlin  and  denounce  the  whole  of  your  foul 
treachery  against  that  girl." 

"You  speak  a  fool's  tale!  "  he  cried  angrily,  though 
he  withdrew  his  hand  from  the  bell. 

"  Maybe,  but  even  a  fool's  tale,  as  you  call  it,  can  be 
sifted.  Your  scheme  now  seems  on  the  point  of  suc- 
ceeding. The  gist  of  it  is  that  when  my  cousin  Minna 
is  not  forthcoming — through  your  own  machinations, 
mark  you — the  cry  should  be  raised  for  the  Duke  Marx. 
I  have  known  that  throughout,  and  I  too  have  had  my 
plans.  You  will  find  it  difficult  to  play  your  game  of 
chess  without  the  King." 

I  enjoyed  the  start  of  surprise  my  words  caused.  It 
was  now  my  turn  to  smile  with  an  air  of  confidence. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that? "  he  asked,  frowning. 

"All  that  is  in  your  thoughts,  and  more,"  said  I  sig- 
nificantly. 


Covering  My   Defeat  237 

"What  do  you  mean?"  he  repeated,  coming  toward 
me  and  looking  searchingly  at  me. 

"  I  mean,"  I  began  very  earnestly,  as  if  about  to  tell 
him ;  but  changed  my  tone,  and  asked,  "  Where  is  the 
Countess  Minna? " 

He  took  his  eyes  off  my  face,  and  glanced  quickly 
from  side  to  side,  as  some  men  will  in  moments  of 
swift,  searching  thought. 

"  You  have  not  dared "  he  began,  and  paused. 

"  You  have  dared  to  seize  the  Queen, "  said  I  quickly. 
"  Why  should  I  not  dare  to  seize  your  King?  This  is 
no  child's  game  we  are  playing." 

He  started  again,  pursed  his  lips,  and  frowned.  I 
had  beaten  him.  I  knew  it. 

"  It  is  checkmate,"  said  I  quietly.  "  And  you  may  as 
well  admit  it.  But  my  game  is  a  cleaner  one  than  yours. 
You  have  thought  to  ruin  the  Countess  Minna  either 
by  a  bigamous  marriage  or  by  a  fate  so  foul  that  none 
but  a  soulless,  intriguing  traitor  would  have  conceived 
it.  I  mean  your  King  no  harm ;  but  I  swear  by  every 
god  that  man  has  ever  set  up  for  a  fetich  that  if  so 
much  as  a  hair  of  the  pure  girl's  head  is  harmed  I  will 
visit  it  a  thousandfold  on  my  hostage.  Now,  will  you 
tell  me  where  is  the  Countess  Minna? " 

I  had  him  now  fast  in  my  clutches,  and  turn  which 
way  he  would  there  was  no  escape.  To  do  him  justice, 
so  soon  as  his  first  dismay  had  passed  his  face  wore  an 
impassive,  expressionless  look  that  told  me  little.  But 
I  could  read  his  other  actions. 

He  had  been  going  to  his  colleagues  to  propose  that 
the  agitation  to  bring  the  Duke  Marx  forward  should 
be  set  on  foot  at  once;  and  this  move  of  mine  had 
beaten  him  absolutely.  Once  or  twice  he  let  out  of  his 
eyes  a  glance  of  malice  that  told  me  what  he  would 


238  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

have  done  had  he  dared ;  but  I  had  drawn  his  fangs, 
and  for  the  time  he  was  powerless  to  harm. 

While  I  sat  thus  watching  him  and  enjoying  my  tri- 
umph, a  knock  came  to  the  door  and  a  servant  entered 
to  say  that  a  messenger  had  come  for  me,  and  wished 
to  see  me  urgently. 

"  I  will  return  in  a  moment,"  I  said  as  I  went  out. 

The  man  had  brought  me  a  telegram.  I  tore  it  open 
and  found  it  was  from  von  Krugen. 

"Safe  so  far." 

I  dismissed  the  man  and  returned  to  the  baron  with 
a  feeling  of  even  greater  exultation  and  confidence  than 
before.  I  was  like  a  man  drowning  who,  at  the  last 
moment,  had  pulled  himself  into  safety. 

"Well,  baron?"  I  asked  as  I  re-entered  the  room. 
"  Have  you  decided  to  answer  my  question? " 

He  was  writing  hurriedly,  and  glanced  up  a  moment 
without  speaking,  then  resumed,  finished  the  letter, 
rang  for  a  servant,  and  ordered  it  to  be  delivered  at 
once. 

"  That  is  your  answer.  It  is  a  letter  to  excuse  my 
presence  for  half  an  hour.  It  will  give  time  for  our 
conference.  Now,  what  is  your  motive,  and  what  are 
your  terms? " 

As  he  put  the  question  he  wheeled  his  chair  round 
so  that  he  could  face  me  as  he  waited  for  the  answer. 


CHAPTER   XXI 

NEWS    OF    MINNA 

I  DID  not  reply  to  Baron  Heckscher  for  a  few  seconds. 
It  was  obvious,  of  course,  that  matters  had  taken  a  new 
turn,  and  I  sat  thinking  how  to  use  the  situation  to 
Minna's  best  advantage. 

"  Now  that  you  are  reasonable,  we  will  go  back  a  lit- 
tle way,"  I  said  deliberately.  "What  do  you  mean  by 
asking  me  my  motive?  " 

"  Presumably  you  have  some  strong  motive  and  some 
object  to  gain.  Though  for  the  purposes  of  this  inter- 
view, as  you  say,  I  am  willing  to  call  you  the  Prince 
von  Gramberg,  or  anything  else  you  like,  I  have  proofs 
that  you  are  nothing  of  the  kind.  Apparently  you  are 
an  adventurer.  Certainly  you  have  been  Heinrich 
Fischer,  an  actor  at  Frankfort,  and  that  within  a  year 
or  two.  You  were  there  for  several  years,  and  have 
been  identified  beyond  question.  What  you  were  be- 
fore then  I  neither  know  nor  care.  You  have  played 
the  part  of  the  Prince  von  Gramberg,  and  played  it 
with  plenty  of  dash,  spirit,  skill,  and  shrewdness.  But 
men  don't  do  these  things  for  no  object.  You  have 
run  an  hourly  risk  of  detection  as  an  impostor,  and 
have  certainly  rendered  yourself  liable  to  heavy  impris- 
onment ;  indeed,  proceedings  are  already  in  course  for 
your  prosecution.  Why,  then,  have  you  acted  in  this 
way? " 

"Those  are  my  private  affairs,"  I  answered  after  a 


240  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

pause ;  "  and  until  you  can  disprove  my  assertion  I  re- 
main the  Prince  von  Gramberg,  if  you  please. " 

"As  you  will,  your  Highness."  He  gave  the  title 
with  excellent  irony.  "  I  may  tell  you  that  when  the 
information  reached  us  it  was  at  the  request  of  the 
countess's  only  surviving  relative  that  she  was  removed 
from  your  custody." 

"  You  mean  the  Baroness  Gratz.  I  had  already  sus- 
pected her  treachery ;  but  )rou  will  save  much  trouble 
by  keeping  to  the  plain  truth.  Your  object  was  not  to 
get  the  countess  out  of  my  custody,  but  into  your  own, 
so  that  while  this  plot  to  place  her  on  the  throne  had 
apparently  been  engineered  in  her  interest  it  was  the 
Ostenburg  heir  who  should  benefit.  It  was  your  work 
to  put  forward  that  scoundrel  von  Nauheim  as  her  hus- 
band, so  that  when  she  had  been  ruined  by  him  she 
would  be  impossible  as  a  claimant  for  the  throne.  We 
may  as  well  be  frank." 

He  made  a  movement  of  anger  at  this,  and  then 
asked  sharply : 

"  If  what  you  say  of  him  be  true,  how  did  you  know 
it?" 

"  We  may  pass  that  by, "  I  replied,  with  a  wave  of  the 
hand ;  "  sufficient  that  I  did  know  him.  To  save  her 
from  such  a  fate  has  been  my  motive. " 

"  You  have  aimed  high,  young  man ;  but  the  Countess 
Minna  von  Gramberg' s  hand  is  not  for  an  ex — for  the 
present  Prince  von  Gramberg."  He  made  the  change 
of  phrase  with  dry  significance.  "She  herself  quite 
understands  that." 

It  was  my  turn  to  start  at  this. 

"  You  mean  that  what  you  have  said  has  been  told  to 
her? " 

"  Your  tone  is  enough  to  show  me  my  information  is 


News  of  Minna  241 

correct.  You  will  be  wise  to  abandon  that  idea  once 
for  all.  Neither  her  title  nor  her  wealth  is  for  a  name- 
less adventurer." 

His  words  stung  me  deeply,  as  no  doubt  he  intended 
they  should. 

"  If  you  knew "  I  began,  but  then  checked  myself 

in  the  act  of  blurting  out  what  I  myself  might  afterward 
repent,  and  said  instead :  "  If  you  knew  my  real  plans, 
you  would  see  the  futility  of  pursuing  this  any  further. " 

"  That  is  why  I  asked  what  your  plans  are.  What 
are  your  terms?  Most  men  have  a  price.  Name  yours, 
and  I'll  see  whether  we  can  pay  it." 

He  spoke  with  cold  deliberation. 

"  My  terms  are  the  safety  and  immediate  liberation 
of  the  countess. " 

"  They  are  impossible,  at  the  present  juncture.  Im- 
possible." 

"Very  good;  then  we  resume  matters  precisely 
where  they  were  when  I  entered  this  room,"  I  replied, 
and  rose  as  if  to  leave. 

"  You  have  been  playing  for  a  big  stake,  and  I  have 
shown  you  it  is  out  of  your  reach.  This  girl  is  nothing 
to  you — unless  she  has  succeeded  in  winning  your  valu- 
able heart.  But  you  are  no  fool  to  waste  your  strength 
in  chasing  the  unattainable.  Give  her  up.  Name  your 
own  terms  in  money  and  position.  Enlist  on  my  side, 
and  whatever  you  ask  you  shall  have. " 

"I  am  not  for  sale,"  I  answered  indignantly. 

"  Then  you  will  be  a  fool,  that's  all.  You  have  said 
enough  to  me  here,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  you  are 
what  I  know  you  to  be,  to  warrant  me  in  clapping  you 
into  a  jail  straightaway,  and  I  will  do  it,  believe  me,  if 
you  force  me. " 

"If  you  like  to  sign  the  death  warrant  of  the  Duke 
16 


242  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

Marx  in  that  way,  you  can.  I  have  not  come  here  to 
you  without  knowing  you,  and  preparing  for  eventu- 
alities. Your  part  in  all  this  is  known  to  others  besides 
me,  and  I  leave  you  to  judge  where  you,  or  those  joined 
with  you,  would  benefit  if  there  were  no  Ostenburg  heir 
to  take  the  throne.  Berlin  would  have  to  bring  back 
the  madman,  or  put  the  Countess  Minna  on  the  throne, 
or  some  stranger ;  and,  in  either  event,  your  power  and 
influence  would  be  gone.  But  you  know  all  this  well 
enough.  Clap  me  into  jail  as  you  say,  or  have  my  head 
cut  off  if  you  like  it  better,  but  how  would  it  help  you? 
No,  baron,  you  will  have  to  try  something  else.  The 
cards  I  hold  are  too  strong  for  you." 

I  flung  the  words  at  him  with  a  reckless  air,  and  he 
knew  the  truth  of  them.  After  a  moment  he  replied : 

"  You  mean  you  will  keep  to  your  mad  plan  of  mar- 
rying the  Countess  Minna? " 

"  I  have  said  nothing  of  the  sort.  My  object  is  merely 
to  free  her  from  a  position  of  danger  from  those  against 
whom  alone  she  is  powerless  to  fight.  It  has  been  part 
of  your  infernal  scheme  to  ruin  her,  to  take  her  life,  or 
to  shut  her  up  somewhere  for  the  rest  of  it,  because  she 
interferes  in  some  way  with  your  plans." 

"  And  you  wished  to  put  her  on  the  throne  in  spite 
of  us? " 

"  She  has  no  more  wish  to  become  Queen  of  Bavaria 
than  to  become  one  of  your  kitchen  wenches.  You 
have  known  this  throughout.  She  has  always  been 
against  it,  and  it  was  only  for  the  purposes  of  your  own 
.  double  treachery  that  you  would  not  recognize  it  openly. 
Give  her  the  chance  and  she  would  renounce  all  claim 
to  the  throne  at  this  very  instant.  But  you  would  give 
her  no  opportunity.  You  used  her  to  mask  your  own 
hidden  scheme,  and  you  have  always  harbored  a  design 


News  of  Minna  243 

against  her  safety.  And  now  your  own  precious 
scheme  has  failed,  as  it  deserved  to.  She  has  been 
your  victim  throughout,  just  as  that  infamous  von  Nau- 
heim  has  been  your  abominable  instrument.  Where  is 
that  scoundrel  now?  "  I  cried. 

He  paid  no  heed  to  the  question,  but  was  rapt  in 
thought  for  some  seconds,  and,  seeing  yet  another  de- 
velopment opening,  I  resumed  my  seat. 

"  Can  I  believe  you?  "  he  asked  at  length  slowly. 

"  You  can  please  yourself. " 

"  It  might  be  possible,"  he  said  thoughtfully,  and  as 
if  half  communing  with  himself.  "  You  say  your  terms 
are  that  the  countess  be  at  once  released?  What  use 
will  she  make  of  her  liberty?  Or  rather,  what  use  will 
you  make  of  it  for  her?  If  she  is  released,  when  will 
the  Duke  Marx  return  to  Munich?  And  where  would 
the  Countess  Minna  be?  " 

I  saw  his  drift  in  a  moment. 

"  You  mean,  will  I  undertake  that  she  is  away  long 
enough  for  this  scheme  of  yours  to  go  through  even 
now? " 

"  You  can  put  it  that  way. " 

"  I  must  see  her  for  myself  before  I  answer. " 

"Even  that  might  be  practicable,"  he  replied  cau- 
tiously. "  I  will  see." 

"Where  is  she? " 

"  If  this  is  done,  and  she  is  willing,  do  you  pledge 
yourself  to  get  her  away  out  of  the  country  for  the 
present?  " 

Something  in  his  accent  and  tone  roused  my  suspi- 
cions, and  I  watched  him  very  closely  as  he  added : 

"  And  further,  that  the  Duke  Marx  shall  return  to 
Munich  as  soon  as  she  is  at  liberty." 

"The  Countess  Minna's  fortune  must  be  secured  to 


244  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

her,"  I  said,  speaking-  more  to  gain  time  to  think  than 
with  any  real  care  for  the  money. 

"You  are  cautious  for  a  young  man  in  love,"  he 
sneered ;  "  but  you  need  have  no  fear  on  that  score. 
You  will  not  lose  that." 

I  saw  his  object  then  pretty  fully.  He  perceived 
that  a  marriage  with  an  actor  and  adventurer  such  as 
he  deemed  me  would  help  his  plans  for  the  Ostenburgs 
at  least  as  much  as  a  marriage  with  von  Nauheim. 
Everything  could  go  forward  with  his  scheme.  Minna 
would  be  out  of  the  way  even  as  he  had  planned,  and 
she  could  still  be  used  as  a  stalking-horse  to  cover  his 
great  object,  and  thus  the  Duke  Marx  would  be  called 
to  the  throne  apparently  without  having  plotted  for  it. 

There  was  one  obstacle  that  I  saw — von  Nauheim. 

"  What  cr  von  Nauheim?  "  I  asked.     "  Where  is  he? " 

The  answer  was  a  wave  of  the  hand,  as  though  such 
a  consideration  were  beneath  serious  notice. 

"  Is  he  with  the  Countess  Minna  now?  "  I  asked,  my 
face  growing  dark. 

"  He  met  with  some  sort  of  accident  last  night,  it 
seems,"  he  said,  with  a  shrewd  glance  at  me.  "  But  for 
that  he  might  have  been  with  her,  by  the  desire  of 
Baroness  Gratz.  But  as  it  is "  he  added,  with  an- 
other hand  wave. 

"I  don't  regard  him  so  lightly,"  said  I,  in  reply  to 
the  gesture. 

"  You  have  already  had  to  face  much  more  serious 
obstacles." 

"  I  could  not  choose  the  terms  then ;  I  can  now. 
But  I  will  take  the  chance  of  what  I  may  do.  I  can 
almost  pledge  myself  for  the  countess,  unless  you  have 
undermined  my  influence  with  her.  That  is  your  look- 
out. But  if  you  set  her  free  at  once,  and  she  consents, 


News  of  Minna  245 

I  will  pledge  myself  to  let  your  scheme  go  on  as  you 
desire,  and  will  see  that  the  Duke  Marx  is  back  in 
Munich  as  soon  as  the  Countess  Minna  is  safe  out  of  the 
clutches  of  your  agents  and  across  the  French  frontier. 
There  is  no  time  to  lose,"  I  added,  rising,  for  the 
thought  of  seeing  Minna  had  filled  me  with  eagerness. 

"  What  guarantee  have  I  that  you  will  do  this? " 

"  None.  What  can  you  have — except  that  the  sooner 
I  have  shaken  myself  free  from  this  infernal  intrigue 
the  better  I  shall  be  pleased. " 

The  sincerity  with  which  I  said  this  appeared  to  sat- 
isfy him ;  for  after  a  moment  he  rose  to  end  the  inter- 
view. 

"And  where  shall  I  find  the  Countess  Minna?"  I 
asked. 

"  She  had  better  not  return  to  Munich.  She  can  join 
you  at  Gramberg. " 

"Thank  you,  I  prefer  to  fetch  her  myself,"  I  inter- 
posed quickly. 

"  There  is  a  difficulty "  he  began  thoughtfully. 

"  Then  the  sooner  it  is  smoothed  away  the  better,"  I 
interrupted. 

"  I  will  send  you  word  where  to  find  her.  But,  first, 
there  are  certain  matters  which  must  be  set  straight. " 

"I  don't  trust  your  agents,  baron;  }rou  had  better 
understand  that.  What  is  to  be  done  must  be  done  to- 
day." 

"  I  am  as  anxious  as  you  can  be  for  haste.  There  is 
more  to  apprehend  from  delay  than  you  appear  to  think. 
At  any  moment  we  may  have  some  interruption  from 
Berlin.  But  I  can  say  no  more  now.  If  you  return  to 
the  Gramberg  house  and  hold  yourself  in  readiness  to 
start,  I  will  communicate  with  you  at  the  earliest  pos- 
sible moment.  I  can  do  no  more.  At  this  instant  I 


246  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

myself  do  not  know  the  exact  whereabouts  of  the 
countess.  She  was  taken  last  night  to  Herr  Schem- 
mell's  house,  close  to  town  here,  and  early  this  morn- 
ing was  to  have  been  removed — almost  directly  after 
your  visit,  indeed,  of  which  I  was,  of  course,  informed 
— and  was  to  be  taken  to  his  country-seat  near  Lands- 
berg.  But  until  I  know  that  she  has  arrived  there  it 
would  be  folly  for  me  to  send  you  out.  Those  who 
have  charge  of  her  are  to  use  their  discretion  as  events 
may  require." 

"I  will  wait  till  I  hear  from  you,"  I  said,  and  as  a 
last  word  asked,  "  You  say  she  has  been  told  that  I  am 
not  her  kinsman,  the  Prince  von  Gramberg?  " 

"Certainly.  And  probably  the  tale  has  been  gar- 
nished with  abundant  details.  The  Baroness  Gratz  is 
no  friend  of  yours. " 

"  And  von  Nauheim?  " 

"  If  he  is  well  enough  he  may  have  gone  after  them. 
I  cannot  say." 

"  If  there  is  any  wrong  done  to  her,  I  shall  set  it  to 
your  account,"  I  cried  passionately,  for  this  news  of 
von  Nauheim  filled  me  with  rage. 

With  this  I  left  him,  the  fear  that  von  Nauheim 
might  even  yet  be  able  to  deal  some  treacherous  blow 
haunting  me. 

On  my  way  from  the  baron's  I  called  at  von  Nau- 
heim's  house,  and  there  I  learned  something  that  added 
to  my  disquiet.  He  had  returned  home  in  the  small 
hours  of  the  morning,  and  after  a  brief  stay  in  the 
house  had  left  again,  declaring  he  might  be  absent 
for  some  time.  This  was  to  me  like  oil  poured  on  to 
a  roaring  fire. 

"Had  your  master  been  hurt?"  I  inquired  of  the 
servant. 


News  of  Minna  247 

"  Yes,  your  Highness.  I  believe  he  had  had  a  nar- 
row escape  in  some  carriage  accident;  but  he  had 
almost  entirely  recovered;  and  happily  no  serious 
injury  was  caused.  He  was  bruised,  of  course,  but 
seemed  much  himself  again  this  morning. " 

This  was  ill  news  enough,  and  I  gnashed  my  teeth  in 
impotent  anger,  when  I  reached  the  house  and  had  to 
sit  kicking  my  heels  in  idleness  while  I  waited  for  news 
from  the  baron ;  and  that  at  the  very  hour  when,  for 
all  I  knew,  von  Nauheim  might  be  forcing  his  abomi- 
nable attentions  on  Minna. 

Late  in  the  morning,  toward  noon,  something  hap- 
pened that  increased  my  uneasiness.  A  letter  was 
brought  me  from  Minna.  It  had  been  hurriedly  writ- 
ten, and  was  scarcely  coherent. 

"CousiN  HANS, — I  am  in  sore  trouble  and  fear. 
There  is  no  doubt  I  am  in  the  hands  of  the  Ostenburg 
agents — they  tricked  me  at  the  ball,  and  I  am  being 
taken  away  from  Munich.  My  aunt  Gratz  is  with  me, 
and  it  seems  that  Marie  was  false  and  told  everything 
— though  I  scarcely  distrust  her.  That  is  one  story. 
Another  is  so  dreadful  I  dare  not  think  of  it.  They 
dare  to  tell  me  you  are  not  my  cousin,  but  a  spy  paid 
by  the  King's  party  to  cheat  us  all  and  wreck  the  whole 
scheme.  I  don't  believe  it.  I  would  trust  you  against 
the  world.  I  do  trust  you.  But  I  do  so  long  to  see 
you  face  to  face  again  and  hear  from  your  own  lips  that 
all  this  is  false.  I  believe  I  am  being  taken  to  Lands- 
berg  to  the  country-house  of  a  Herr  Schemmell.  Aunt 
Gratz  says  so,  and  thinks  you  could  come  after  us.  She 
will  get  this  letter  to  you.  Try  and  follow  me  at  once, 
and  save  me  from  I  know  not  what.  All  this  is  killing 
me.  Your  distracted  cousin,  MINNA.  " 


248  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

What  on  earth  could  this  jumble  mean?  The  Baron- 
ess Gratz  the  medium  of  news  of  this  sort.  First  assur- 
ing Minna  that  I  was  a  rascally  spy,  and  then  suggest- 
ing that  I  could  follow  and  rescue  them.  Of  course  it 
was  treachery  somewhere.  Was  it  to  put  me  off  the 
scent  altogether?  Were  they  being  taken  to  some  other 
place?  It  baffled  me,  and  I  could  not  see  a  solution. 

The  fact  that  von  Nauheim  had  recovered,  and,  as  I 
knew,  had  followed  them,  led  me  to  connect  him  with 
the  business  in  some  way,  but  how? 

The  thought  was  so  maddening  that  I  was  raging  and 
fuming  at  the  delay  in  hearing  from  the  Baron  Heck- 
scher  when,  to  my  further  surprise,  Praga  was  an- 
nounced. 

He  had  come,  he  told  me,  to  consult  about  the  dis- 
posal of  our  hostage,  the  duke. 

I  turned  for  a  moment  with  relief  from  the  bewilder- 
ing puzzle  of  Minna's  letter  to  ask  him  his  news  of  the 
duke. 


CHAPTER  XXII 

AT    LANDSBERG 

PRAGA  was  in  his  customary  devil-may-care  humor, 
and  in  reply  to  my  earnest  request  for  information 
he  laughed  and  showed  his  teeth,  tossed  his  head  and 
shrugged  his  shoulders,  and  his  first  answer  was  a  vol- 
ley of  his  strangely  phrased  oaths. 

"  Safe  so  far,  Prince,  but  it  was  a  devilish  tight  place 
you  put  us  in.  That  fellow  of  yours,  von  Krugen,  is 
true  grit,  by  the  devil,  a  good  fellow  right  through." 

"What  have  you  done  with  the  duke?  Don't  waste 
words,  man,"  I  said,  with  much  impatience. 

"  Poor  little  beast!  "  exclaimed  the  Corsican,  with  an 
ugly  laugh.  "  We  had  to  frighten  him  till  the  sweat 
stood  thick  on  his  forehead,  his  teeth  chattered,  and  his 
knees  knocked  together  like  loose  spokes  in  a  rickety 
wheel.  In  truth  we  didn't  know  what  to  do  with  him, 
and  I  was  half  for  knocking  him  on  the  head  to  be  done 
with  it,  but  von  Krugen  wouldn't.  Then  it  occurred 
to  us  that  we  could  play  at  being  about  to  put  him  to 
death,  and,  as  von  Krugen  was  in  his  fancy  dress,  we 
let  him  play  the  part  of  his  mad  Majesty's  executioner. 
We  patched  up  a  few  lies,  sewed  them  together  with 
threats,  and  trimmed  them  with  plenty  of  oaths.  Told 
him  the  whole  plot  was  discovered,  that  the  madman's 
agents  had  found  it  all  out,  that  my  lord  the  duke  was 
first  on  the  honorable  list  for  having  his  head  chopped 
off,  and  that  von  Krugen  had  been  sent  out  to  give  him 


250  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

the  happy  despatch.  It  was  magnificent,"  and  he 
laughed  loudly  at  the  recollection. 

"Well?"  I  cried,  the  delay  irritating  me. 

"  Your  duke's  a  lily-livered  wretch  enough  when  it 
comes  to  facing  cold  steel,  and  I'm  bound  to  say  von 
Krugen  looked  devilish  ugly  and  dead  set  in  earnest  as, 
wearing  his  mask,  he  drew  his  sword  and  gave  the  little 
crank  five  minutes  to  balance  up  his  ledgers  with 
Heaven.  He  was  in  no  mood  for  that  sort  of  work,  as 
we  had  guessed  of  course,  and  instead  of  putting  up  a 
few  concentrated  prayers  of  the  customary  strength 
he  flopped  down  on  his  knees  and  begged  us  to  spare 
his  life,  and  he  grovelled  and  squirmed  and  wriggled 
on  his  belly  and  wept  till  I  could  have  spat  on  him. 
Faugh!  "  and  the  Corsican's  face  was  a  picture  of  dis- 
gust. 

"  I  begin  to  see, "  I  said. 

"Not  quite,"  said  my  companion,  with  a  laugh. 
"  For  the  next  act  was  that  von  Krugen  and  I  quar- 
relled, and  we  pretended  to  wrangle  and  jangle  until  I 
seemed  to  gain  my  end,  and  the  little  fool  thought  he 
owed  his  life  to  me.  He  clung  to  me  and  shrank  from 
the  '  executioner, '  and  was  altogether  in  a  fit  state  to 
promise  anything  I  told  him  in  order  to  save  his  skin. 
I  told  him  it  would  cost  von  Krugen  his  life  if  it  were 
known  that  he  had  not  done  the  work,  and  that  if  any 
one  had  even  a  suspicion  of  who  the  duke  was  and  who 
we  were  all  our  lives  would  be  sacrificed  in  a  twin- 
kling. By  that  time  he  was  about  wet  through  with 
fear,  so  we  told  him  he  must  consent  to  be  thought  a 
mad  patient  of  ours  whom  we,  as  doctor  and  attendant, 
were  conveying  to  an  asylum.  In  this  way  we  took 
him  to  Gramberg — not  to  the  castle,  but  to  some  place 
where  von  Krugen  said  he  would  be  safe  for  a  time. 


At   Landsberg  251 

There  he  is  awaiting-  your  instructions.  He's  safe 
enough  for  a  few  days,  but  what  after?  " 

"You  have  done  well  and  cleverly,"  I  said  warmly. 
"  A  little  fright  won't  hurt  him,  and  meanwhile  matters 
here  have  taken  a  turn  which  may  render  it  necessary 
for  us  to  set  him  free  in  a  few  hours,"  and  I  told  Praga 
what  had  happened — except  as  to  the  discovery  of  my 
imposture — and  the  tale  made  a  considerable  impres- 
sion on  him. 

"  When  that  wily  old  Iscariot  says  one  thing,  I  always 
look  for  another  meaning.  But  you  had  a  master  card 
to  play.  He  must  have  been  mad.  And  what  will  you 
do?" 

"  If  I  do  not  hear  from  him  at  once,  I  shall  go  on  to 
Landsberg  on  the  chance  of  my  cousin's  letter  being 
right,  and  I  will  send  a  messenger  to  the  baron  at  once. " 

I  was  in  the  act  of  ringing  for  a  servant  when  one 
entered  to  tell  me  that  Baron  Heckscher  was  waiting 
to  see  me. 

"  He  had  better  not  see  me,"  said  the  Corsican. 

"  There  is  no  need.  I*  will  go  to  him.  Meanwhile 
get  ready  to  go  with  me,  and  communicate  with  von 
Krugen  to  keep  the  duke  where  he  is  until  he  hears 
from  me." 

Then  I  hurried  to  the  room  where  Baron  Heckscher 
was  waiting. 

"  I  deemed  it  best  to  come  to  }7ou  myself,"  he  said  on 
my  entrance.  "  I  have  been  delayed,  because  I  wished 
to  be  able  to  assure  you  that  others  are  with  us  in  what 
we  propose.  Further,  there  is  very  important  news." 

"Stay,  if  you  please,"  I  interposed,  "before  you  tell 
me  any  more  of  your  news.  Understand,  I  am  not,  and 
will  not,  be  a  party  to  any  of  your  schemes.  I  have  no 
wish  to  be  in  any  degree  in  your  confidence." 


252  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

I  guessed  that  the  purport  of  his  news  was  that  some 
sort  of  interference  from  Berlin  was  threatened,  and  I 
had  the  strongest  reasons  for  keeping  clear  of  any  com- 
plications whatever  in  that  direction. 

"I  don't  think  I  quite  understand  you,"  he  said 
sharply. 

"  I  mean  that  up  to  this  point  you  have  been  working 
against  the  Countess  Minna  and  myself  and  I  against 
you.  So  far  I  have  outwitted  you,  and  you  are  taking 
the  present  step  of  freeing  the  countess  because  you 
can't  help  yourself,  not  in  any  spirit  of  co-operation 
with  me,  but  under  pressure  from  me,  and  because,  if 
you  don't  do  it,  you  know  that  your  whole  plan  will  be 
spoiled.  We  are  still  opponents,  and  I  decline  to  be 
associated  with  you  and  your  colleagues,  and  I  retain 
complete  freedom  of  action  and  entire  liberty  to  ex- 
plain exactly  the  circumstances  under  which  this  new 
development  has  taken  place. " 

"  You  mean  that  you  have  threatened  to  murder  the 
rightful  heir  to  the  Bavarian  throne,"  he  said,  harshly 
and  angrily. 

"  That  I  have  taken  less  shameful  steps  in  regard  to 
one  of  the  heirs  than  you  took  in  regard  to  the  other. 
Precisely,"  I  retorted. 

"  If  you  will  not  act  with  us,  there  must  be  an  e~id  of 
things,  then." 

"  Yes,  if  you  mean  that  I  must  act  with  you,  I  will 
have  no  hand  in  your  plot. " 

"You  make  needless  difficulties." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  make  no  difficulties.  I  refuse 
only  to  be  drawn  into  your  plot,  or  to  be  considered  as 
one  of  you." 

"  A  sudden  development  of  scruples,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances," he  sneered. 


At  Landsberg  253 

"  A  proper  development  of  caution  I  prefer  to  call  it, 
seeing-  that  I  am  acting  as  the  only  real  representative 
of  the  Countess  Minna,  and  am  dealing  with  those  who 
have  tricked  her  so  abominably." 

I  spoke  with  all  the  warmth  I  felt. 

"  You  wish  to  pose  as  my  enemy? " 

"  I  am  quite  indifferent.  I  know  already  the  where- 
abouts of  the  countess  from  a  source  independent  of 
you,  and  I  have  taken  means  to  insure  her  safety." 

This  was  not  strictly  accurate,  but  it  was  indirectly 
true,  for  I  knew  that  so  long  as  the  Duke  Marx  re- 
mained in  my  hands  Minna  was  safe  enough. 

He  paused  to  think. 

"  Do  you  mean  you  wish  to  break  away  from  the  ar- 
rangement we  made  this  morning?  " 

"  Not  so  far  as  the  renunciation  of  the  throne  is  con- 
cerned; but  the  arrangement  as  to  my  cousin's  freedom 
is  to  be  considered  as  forced  from  you,  not  made  in 
complicity  with  you.  I  do  not  wish  you  to  tell  me  any- 
thing because  you  think  I  am  acting  with  you.  I  am 
not." 

"  So  long  as  you  do  what  you've  agreed,  I  ask  no 
more,"  he  answered,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  as 
though  he  considered  the  matter  not  worth  discussing. 

But  I  knew  his  indifference  was  only  assumed  to 
cover  his  chagrin. 

"  The  news  is  that  the  greatest  haste  is  now  impera- 
tive, or  everything  will  be  lost.  The  Duke  Marx  must 
be  back  in  Munich  to-night  or  at  latest  to-morrow. 
The  whole  city  is  in  an  uproar,  and  if  the  duke  is  not 
back  the  ill  consequences  may  be  irretrievable.  More- 
over, I  have  news  of  action  from  Berlin." 

"  You  mean  you  wish  to  pull  the  wires  at  once  for  an 
agitation  in  favor  of  your  duke,  I  suppose,  but  dare  not 


254  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

until  you  know  he  is  at  liberty  and  able  to  come  for- 
ward. A  very  pretty  dilemma,"  and  I  smiled.  "  I  am 
in  luck,  it  seems.  But  now  what  of  this  Landsberg 
business?  The  countess  is  there.  What  have  you 
done?" 

"  I  have  wired  to  our  leader  there,  Major  Gessler,  to 
expect  you  to  take  away  the  countess ;  and  I  have  writ- 
ten you  an  authority  to  him  that  will  do  all  you  need. 
Give  him  that — you  will  know  him,  for  you  saw  him 
last  night  when  you  visited  the  town-house  of  Herr 
Schemmell — and  that  very  moment  the  countess  will  be 
placed  in  your  hands." 

"  Good ! "  I  cried  gladly,  my  blood  warming  at  the 
thought  of  Minna  being  again  in  my  charge.  "  But 
you  know  that  von  Nauheim  has  gone  to  Landsberg." 

A  frown  crossed  his  face,  but  with  an  impatient  wave 
Ox"  the  hand  he  exclaimed : 

"  He  can  do  nothing.  Now  as  to  your  part.  As 
soon  as  the  countess  is  in  your  care  again  you  will  hand 
to  Gessler  an  authority  to  set  the  Duke  Marx  at  liberty?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied  after  a  moment's  consideration. 

"Then  the  sooner  you  are  en  route  the  better,"  he 
said,  rising  as  he  spoke.  "  I  have  no  more  to  say  to 
you.  We  part  as ? " 

"As  we  met — opponents,  Baron  Heckscher,"  I  an- 
swered promptly ;  and  as  soon  as  he  had  gone  I  hurried 
back  to  Praga  to  tell  him  what  had  occurred.  Within 
a  few  minutes  we  were  driving  rapidly  on  our  way  to 
Landsberg. 

My  heart  was  beating  with  pleased  anticipation  of 
seeing  Minna,  though  I  was  not  without  some  appre- 
hension as  to  how  she  would  take  the  news  I  had  to  tell 
of  myself  and  of  the  deception  I  had  practised.  Nor 
was  I  altogether  free  from  disquieting  fears  that  in 


At  Landsberg  255 

some  way  there  was  danger  to  her  from  the  presence  of 
von  Nauheim.  I  had,  too,  many  plans  to  make  regard- 
ing our  future  movements,  so  that  I  was  in  no  mood 
for  conversation. 

Praga  began  to  beguile  the  journey  by  attempting  to 
tell  me  a  number  of  piquant  and  characteristic  anec- 
dotes of  his  experiences ;  but  he  soon  found  I  was  not 
listening,  and  he  then  relapsed  into  silence,  and  sat 
smoking  furiously. 

Once  when  he  broke  a  long  silence  his  words  chanced 
to  chime  with  my  thoughts  and  I  answered. 

"  When  am  I  to  have  my  revenge  on  that  brute  von 
Nauheim?  "  he  asked,  his  dark  face  lowering  with  anger. 

"  You  have  had  much  of  it  already,  for  most  of  his 
plans  have  miscarried." 

"  Ay,  but  I  want  to  be  face  to  face  with  him,  with 
nothing  between  but  a  couple  of  sharp  swords,"  and  his 
eyes  flashed  as  he  spoke. 

"  That  may  come  sooner  than  we  think.  I  care  not 
how  soon,"  I  said. 

"  But  I  do.  Body  of  Bacchus,  but  I  long  to  see  him 
squirm  and  shiver  and  shrink  when  I  fix  his  eyes  with 
mine  and  press  his  sword  with  the  touch  of  death." 

"  I  have  a  score  to  settle  with  him,  too,  and  it  grows 
in  the  waiting. " 

"My  turn  first.  You  can  have  him  when  I've  done 
with  him — or  at  least  what's  left  of  him,"  he  cried,  with 
a  callous  laugh.  "  Not  before.  And  what  are  you  go- 
ing to  do  afterward? " 

"  I  am  still  undecided,"  I  replied;  and  again  we  were 
both  silent. 

The  journey  was  a  very  tedious  one,  for  the  train 
was  slow,  and  we  were  much  delayed  owing  to  a  break- 
down on  the  line,  which  made  our  train  several  hours 


256  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

late.  The  delay  fretted  and  galled  me,  for  I  could  not 
make  sure  that  von  Nauheim  would  not  use  the  inter- 
val for  some  devilment  of  his  own.  My  impatience 
made  the  time  pass  with  wings  of  lead. 

It  was  well  toward  evening  when  we  reached  our 
destination,  and  then  came  another  delay.  There  was 
an  eight-mile  drive  to  the  house,  and  at  first  we  couldn't 
get  horses. 

After  much  difficulty  we  procured  a  couple  of  riding 
hacks  of  very  indifferent  quality,  and  as  soon  as  we 
were  mounted  we  pushed  forward  at  such  speed  as  the 
nature  of  our  beasts  would  allow.  The  effect  of  the 
comparatively  rapid  motion  through  the  air  was  exhil- 
arating and  braced  me.  It  was  dusk,  however,  when 
we  reached  the  village,  at  the  far  end  of  which  was  the 
mansion. 

"  At  last !  "  I  exclaimed  as  we  turned  in  through  a 
pair  of  massive  gates  and  rattled  up  the  drive  at  a  quick 
trot. 

As  I  glanced  at  the  great,  grim,  square  building,  in 
which  scarcely  a  light  was  to  be  seen,  a  thought  that 
all  was  not  right  was  put  into  words  by  my  companion, 
who  exclaimed  with  an  oath : 

"  I  don't  like  the  look  of  this  place,  Prince.  I  seem 
to  smell  something  wrong.  I'm  not  for  trusting  my- 
self inside. " 

"It's  all  right,"  I  answered.  "It  must  be;  there's 
no  object  now  to  be  gained  by  playing  us  false,"  and  I 
jumped  from  the  saddle  and  ran  up  the  broad  flight  of 
steps  to  the  front  door. 

"Maybe,"  growled  Praga.  "But  I'd  rather  stay 
where  I  am.  I'll  turn  horse-minder.  If  it's  a  trap, 
it's  as  well  for  one  of  us  to  remain  on  the  outside  of  it. " 

I  was  not  sorry  for  him  to  do  that,  as  I  did  not  wish 


At  Landsberg  257 

Minna  to  see  him  until  she  knew  how  he  had  been  help- 
ing us.  His  name  was  too  repugnant  to  her  in  connec- 
tion with  her  brother's  death. 

My  summons  was  answered  at  once,  and  I  asked  for 
Major  Gessler.  I  was  shown  to  a  room  at  once,  and  as 
the  door  closed  on  me  I  heard  a  rush  of  footsteps,  a 
cry  or  two  of  anger,  a  shout  from  Praga  that  we  were 
betrayed,  and  then  the  quick  gallop  of  horses  down  the 
drive. 

Before  I  had  recovered  from  my  consternation  the 
door  was  opened  again  quickly,  and  an  officer  appeared 
at  it,  accompanied  by  a  couple  of  men,  who  covered  me 
with  their  guns. 

"What  is  the  meaning  of  this?"  I  cried  angrily. 
"  Where  is  Major  Gessler?  I  am  the  Prince  von  Gram- 
berg,  and  am  here  with  an  authority  from  Baron  Heck- 
scher  to  the  major.  You  will  repent  this  attack,  sir, 
whoever  you  are. " 

"  If  you  will  be  good  enough  to  hand  over  any  weap- 
ons you  may  have,  and  to  sit  down  quietly  there  " — 
pointing  to  a  chair — "  I  shall  be  glad  to  answer  you." 

"  I'll  see  you  damned  first!  "  I  cried  in  a  blind  rage, 
and  I  whipped  out  my  revolver  and  levelled  it  point- 
blank  at  his  face.  "  Stand  out  of  my  way,  or  I'll  shoot 
you  like  a  dog!  " 

He  was  as  cool  as  though  I  was  merely  offering  him 
my  card. 

"  You  will  gain  nothing  by  shooting  me,  except  that 
my  men  will  promptly  shoot  you,"  he  answered. 

"  Then  tell  me  what  the  devil  you  mean  by  this  out- 
rage," I  said;  and  despite  my  rage  I  saw  readily  the 
truth  of  what  he  said. 

"  I  allow  no  man  to  force  me  in  this  way,"  he  answered 
calmly,  looking  me  steadily  in  the  face.  "  Give  up  your 


258  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

revolver  and  no  harm  will  be  done  to  you.  Indeed  I 
shall  be  glad  to  explain  matters." 

I  tossed  the  pistol  on  to  the  table,  and  he  picked  it 
up,  handed  it  to  one  of  the  men,  and  ordered  them  to 
leave  the  room. 

"Remain  at  hand  to  come  if  I  call,"  he  told  them. 
Then  to  me  he  said,  shutting  the  door :  "  I  am  merely 
obeying  orders.  Major  Gessler  is  away  for  a  time,  and 
my  instructions  were  to  detain  you  until  he  returned. " 

"Why  is  not  the  major  here?  He  was  prepared  for 
my  coming  by  a  telegram  from  Baron  Heckscher." 

"  You  must  put  your  questions  to  him.  I  only  obey 
orders.  But  there  has  been  some  ugly  business  here 
in  regard  to  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg.  She 
left  the  place  secretly  with  her  aunt  and  the  Count  von 
Nauheim,  about  three  hours  ago,  and  the  major  is  gone 
in  pursuit  of  them." 

The  news  set  me  on  fire. 

"  I  must  go  after  them !  "  I  cried.  "  Don't  try  to  stop 
me.  Where  have  they  gone?  " 

"  My  orders  are  that  you  remain  here, "  he  answered 
stolidly,  "and  I  cannot  disobey  them." 

"  But  I  have  come  to  fetch  the  countess.  This  is  the 
authority  to  Major  Gessler  to  deliver  her  up  to  me," 
and,  snatching  the  baron's  letter  from  my  pocket,  I 
handed  it  to  the  officer. 

He  took  it  slowly,  examined  it  carefully,  and  held  it 
out  again. 

"  It  is  addressed  to  my  superior  officer,  I  cannot  open 
it,"  he  said,  with  the  same  deliberate  coolness. 

I  tore  open  the  envelope  and  gave  him  the  letter. 

He  shook  his  head. 

"  It  is  not  for  me.  I  cannot  read  my  superior's  let- 
ters. I  could  not  act  upon  it  if  I  did." 


At  Landsberg  259 

a  But,  good  God,  man,  these  women  may  oe  in  des- 
perate peril !  You  must  read  it !  " 

He  shook  his  head  again  with  dogged  obstinacy. 

At  that  I  lost  all  control  of  myself,  and  with  an  oath 
I  threw  myself  upon  him  to  drag  him  out  of  the  way  of 
my  escape  from  the  place. 

He  clung  to  me,  and  wrestled  furiously,  and  with  a 
call  brought  in  the  two  men,  who  soon  overpowered 
and  forced  me  back  in  my  chair,  fuming  with  rage. 

"  It  is  useless  to  struggle,"  he  said  in  his  cold,  even 
tone.  "  I  have  my  orders,  and  more  than  enough 
strength  to  see  that  they  are  obeyed. " 

I  recognized  the  force  of  this,  and,  though  I  cursed 
the  blockhead  stolidity  of  the  man,  I  could  do  nothing 
but  yield. 

I  ceased  to  struggle,  but  felt  like  a  madman  in  my 
baffled  fury  and  fear  for  Minna.  Heaven  alone  knew 
what  use  von  Nauheim  might  make  of  this  opportunity. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE    PURSUIT 

"  WILL  you  cease  to  resist  if  my  men  leave  you? "  asked 
the  officer  after  I  had  been  quiet  some  time. 

"  Yes,  but  I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  the  conse- 
quences of  this  detention  of  me,  and  they  may  be  heavy 
and  serious,"  I  replied. 

"I  am  only  acting  under  orders,"  was  his  answer, 
and  he  signed  to  the  men  to  withdraw  again.  "  I  am 
sorry  you  have  compelled  me  to  resort  to  force.  It 
was  not  my  wish. " 

"  How  long  will  Major  Gessler  be? " 

"  It  is  impossible  to  say.  He  may  return  in  five  min- 
utes or  in  five  hours ;  I  can  have  no  idea. " 

"  He  knew  that  I  was  coming? " 

"  Obviously,  for  I  was  told  to  expect  you,  and  detain 
you  when  you  arrived." 

"  Told  to  lay  a  trap  for  me,  you  mean? " 

He  made  no  reply. 

"  Did  your  instructions  include  the  unwarrantable  at- 
tack I  heard  being  made  upon  my  companion? " 

"My  instructions  were  to  detain  you,  and  I  must 
really  leave  all  explanations  to  my  superior." 

"Then  I  wish  you'd  leave  the  room  as  well,"  I  re- 
torted curtly,  and,  to  my  surprise,  he  took  me  at  my 
word,  and  went  out  immediately,  giving  a  command, 
in  a  tone  loud  enough  to  reach  me,  that  the  men  sta- 
tioned outside  the  door  were  to  remain  there. 


The  Pursuit  261 

As  soon  as  I  was  alone  I  resolved  to  escape  by  the 
window.  I  got  up  and  stole  softly  to  it.  It  was  shut- 
tered, but  the  fastenings  were  on  the  inside,  and  as  I 
tried  them  gently  and  slowly  I  found  they  were  easy 
to  release.  But  I  knew  the  men  outside  the  door  would 
be  on  the  alert,  and  that  the  least  noise  I  made  would 
bring  them  in. 

I  sat  down  again,  therefore,  and  began  to  make  a 
noisy  clatter  with  some  of  the  furniture.  I  banged  the 
door  of  the  big  stove,  upset  a  couple  of  chairs,  and 
threw  down  some  things  from  the  table.  As  I  stooped  to 
pick  them  up  one  of  the  men  put  his  head  in  at  the  door. 

"  Well,  what  the  devil  do  you  want?  "  I  cried,  with  an 
angry  scowl. 

"  I  thought  you  called,  sir,"  he  answered. 

"That's  a  ready  lie,  my  man.  You  came  because 
you  heard  a  noise.  That  was  the  noise,"  and  I  picked 
up  a  chair  and  threw  it  across  the  room  at  the  door. 
"Just  hand  it  back,  will  you?  " 

He  picked  it  up  and  placed  it  near  the  door,  and  went 
out,  and  I  heard  him  mutter  something  to  his  compan- 
ion about  my  being  a  "  queer  sort." 

I  slipped  to  the  window  then,  and,  not  being  afraid  of 
making  a  noise,  I  unfastened  the  shutters  to  find  the 
catch  of  the  window,  and  was  in  the  act  of  undoing 
that  when  I  heard  steps  approaching  the  door  across 
the  hall.  In  a  moment  I  replaced  the  shutters,  slipped 
back  to  my  chair,  and  was  yawning  heavily  when  the 
door  was  opened  and  the  officer  came  in. 

"  They  report  to  me  that  you  have  been  making  some 
disturbance  here,"  he  said  shortly.  "  I  will,  therefore, 
leave  a  man  in  the  room  with  you." 

I  cursed  the  clumsiness  of  my  ruse,  which  had  thus 
frustrated  the  chance  of  my  escape 


262  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  decline  to  submit  to  such  an  indignity,  sir,"  I  said 
angrily.  "  I  will  have  no  jailer  here." 

But  my  protest,  like  everything  else  with  this  wooden 
idiot,  passed  unheeded,  and  one  of  the  men  was  told  to 
stand  by  the  door  inside. 

For  a  moment  I  was  in  despair.  My  first  thought 
was  to  try  and  bribe  him,  but  I  abandoned  the  idea  as 
readily,  for  I  saw  that  if  I  failed  he  would  report  the 
attempt  to  the  officer,  and  I  should  be  in  a  worse  plight 
than  ever.  Yet  the  thought  that  time  was  flying,  and 
von  Nauheim  getting  farther  and  farther  away  with 
Minna,  while  I  was  condemned  to  this  helpless  inactiv- 
ity, was  like  hell  to  me.  Then  a  last  and  desperate 
scheme  suggested  itself  to  me.  The  room  was  lighted 
by  an  oil  lamp,  and  my  thought  was  to  try  and  extin- 
guish it,  and  escape  in  the  consequent  confusion  and 
darkness.  I  knew  now  that  in  a  moment  I  could  open 
the  window. 

Keeping  up  my  character  for  eccentricity,  I  jumped 
to  my  feet  so  suddenly  that  the  man  started  and 
grasped  his  weapon,  and,  declaring  that  I  was  cold — 
though  the  evening  was  stifling,  and  my  rage  made  me 
as  hot  as  a  fever  patient — I  began  to  stamp  up  and 
down  the  room,  taking  care  at  first  to  keep  well  away 
from  the  window,  lest  he  should  suspect  my  object. 
Next  I  declared  that  the  lamp  smelt  vilely,  and  I  set  it 
down  near  the  stove,  and  opened  the  little  door  that  the 
fumes  might  escape  up  the  flue.  My  next  step  was  to 
whip  the  cover  off  the  table,  and  throw  it  around  my 
shoulders. 

The  man  kept  his  eyes  steadily  on  me,  obviously  re- 
garding me  as  more  than  half  insane,  but  he  made  no 
attempt  to  interfere  with  me,  and  I  continued  my 
monotonous  march  backward  and  forward,  backward 


The  Pursuit  263 

and  forward,  until  I  noticed  that  his  vigilant  watch  was 
gradually  being  relaxed.  Then  I  altered  my  direction 
slightly,  until  each  turn  took  me  nearer  and  nearer  to 
the  window,  and  at  last  I  prepared  to  make  my  effort. 

"  Turn  that  lamp  down  a  bit,  it  stinks,"  I  said,  with 
a  vigorous  grimace  of  disgust,  and,  without  in  the  least 
suspecting  my  intention,  he  went  to  do  it. 

For  a  moment  his  back  was  toward  me,  and  at  that 
instant  I  snatched  the  cloth  from  my  shoulders  and 
threw  it  with  all  my  force  at  the  lamp,  enveloping  both 
it  and  the  man  as  he  was  bending  over  it  to  do  as  I  had 
requested. 

He  shouted  lustily  for  help,  but  there  were  a  few 
seconds  of  darkness  before  any  one  could  reach  me, 
and  I  tore  back  the  shutters,  opened  the  window,  leapt 
out,  and  dashed  away  through  the  darkness  at  top 
speed,  running  in  zigzag  fashion  for  the  cover  of  some 
shrubbery  about  fifty  yards  distant. 

Before  I  reached  the  cover  I  heard  the  sounds  of 
great  commotion  in  the  house,  and  a  number  of  men 
started  out  in  pursuit  of  me,  but  I  plunged  through  the 
bushes  at  as  great  a  speed  as  possible.  The  noise  I 
made  would,  I  knew,  render  pursuit  an  easy  matter, 
and  thus  when  I  gained  a  small  clearing  I  changed  my 
direction,  and  raced  across  the  lawn,  taking  my  chance 
of  where  I  was  going.  Fortune  favored  me,  and  I 
came  upon  a  boundary  wall,  over  which  I  climbed, 
dropping  breathless  and  excited,  but  free,  into  a  deep, 
dry  ditch  by  the  side  of  a  lane.  I  lay  down  to  regain  my 
breath  and  to  listen  for  any  further  signs  of  pursuit,  as 
well  as  to  think  out  my  next  step.  I  had  escaped,  but 
what  use  to  make  of  my  freedom  I  could  not  for  a  mo- 
ment tell. 

Presently  I  heard  the  sound  of  a  horse  cantering  on 


264  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

the  turf  by  the  side  of  the  lane,  and  looking  up  cau- 
tiously I  saw,  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  which  was 
shining  brilliantly ,  a  man  riding  toward  me.  As  he 
came  closer  I  recognized,  to  my  infinite  pleasure,  that 
it  was  the  Corsican,  Praga.  I  scrambled  out  of  the 
ditch  and  stood  up  to  wait  for  him,  calling  to  him  when 
he  was  some  twenty  yards  away.  He  reined  up  and 
jumped  from  his  horse.  I  told  him  my  experiences 
with  that  dolt  of  an  officer  in  the  house,  and  he  told  me 
he  was  just  riding  back  to  see  what  had  become  of  me, 
and  that  he  had  news. " 

"It  is  great  news,"  he  said.  "When  they  tried  to 
get  at  me,  I  galloped  off,  and  in  the  village  I  stumbled 
against  an  old  Munich  acquaintance,  who  is  here  over 
this  business,  and  was  just  coming  back  from  a  start  he 
had  made  with  Major  Gessler.  He  told  me  something 
of  what  had  happened  here  to-day.  It  seems  that  that 
brute  von  Nauheim  got  wind  that  something  was  going 
to  happen  which  he  didn't  like — I  suppose  it  was  your 
coming — and  he  bolted  with  the  Countess  Minna  and 
her  aunt.  At-  that  Gessler  seems  to  have  thought 
treachery  was  in  the  wind,  and  that  you  were  in  some 
way  connected  with  it — these  officers  are  always  fools, 
especially  when  some  one  tells  them  about  half  the 
truth — and  he  set  out  after  the  runaways,  and  left  or- 
ders that  if  you  did  come  you  were  to  be  kept.  I  was 
coming  back  to  try  if  I  couldn't  find  you,  and  perhaps 
get  you  out  of  the  house,  so  that  we  might  start  in  pur- 
suit on  our  own  account. " 

"Where  has  von  Nauheim  gone?  Does  any  one 
know? "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  the  major  is  on  their  track,  I  think.  They  are 
supposed  to  have  taken  the  south  road,  von  Nauheim 's 
object  being  apparently  to  strike  the  railway  when 


The  Pursuit  265 

some  miles  out,  and  presumably  get  out  of  Bavaria  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"  I  have  no  horse,"  I  said.  "  You  had  better  give  me 
yours,  and  then  try  to  get  one  and  follow  me  as  soon  as 
you  can.  I  am  on  fire.  I  cannot  wait." 

"It's  not  much  of  a  beast,  and  very  tired,  but  it  may 
serve  till  you  can  get  a  better,"  said  Praga.  "Make 
for  Waal  first,  and  then  try  to  find  some  traces,  and 
leave  word  for  me  where  I  am  to  follow.  I  think  I  can 
find  your  horse.  He  followed  me  out  of  the  place,  and 
I  tethered  him  up  somewhere  about  here." 

I  mounted,  and  after  a  few  more  hurried  words  from 
him  about  the  direction  to  be  taken  I  clapped  my  heels 
into  the  horse's  ribs,  and  set  off  at  a  pace  that  was  as 
near  a  gallop  as  the  tired  brute  could  imitate.  The 
clattering  of  the  beast's  hoofs  on  the  rough,  uneven 
road  woke  the  echoes  around  me  as  I  dashed  forward, 
filled  with  the  one  consuming  thought  of  rescuing 
Minna  from  the  hands  of  the  dastard  who  had  carried 
her  off  from  me. 

I  found  to  my  dismay,  however,  that  my  horse  was 
quite  incapable  of  any  great  effort,  and  soon  began  to 
show  signs  of  fatigue.  I  had  to  ease  him  constantly, 
and  after  a  few  miles  I  could  not  urge  him  beyond  a 
rather  slow  trot.  To  get  another  horse  appeared  diffi- 
cult, and  I  did  not  pass  any  place  that  even  offered  a 
hope  of  one.  My  progress  was  thus  irritatingly  slow, 
and  every  mile  I  covered  seemed  to  detract  from,  rather 
than  add  to,  the  chances  of  my  overtaking  von  Nau- 
heim. 

I  had  no  difficulty,  however,  in  tracing  the  fugitives. 
Major  Gessler,  in  company  with  three  other  men,  had 
passed  scarcely  two  hours  ahead  of  me,  and  as  they  had 
made  inquiries  all  along  the  route,  they  had  left  a 


266  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

broad  trail  easy  enough  for  me  to  follow.  If  they  were 
on  the  right  track  it  was  certain  that  I  was. 

After  riding  for  a  couple  of  hours  at  this  slow  pace 
I  saw  a  mile  or  two  ahead  of  me  the  lights  of  a  small 
town,  and,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  get  a  fresh 
mount  there,  I  urged  on  my  shambling  steed  to  the  ut- 
most of  his  powers.  But  he  was  quite  used  up,  and  as 
I  was  forcing  him  down  a  slight  hill  I  felt  him  stagger 
and  stumble  under  me ;  and  then  down  he  went  in  a 
heap,  throwing  me  clear  of  him.  I  could  not  afford  to 
waste  time  over  him,  and  as  soon  as  I  had  managed  to 
drag  him  to  his  feet  I  tied  his  head  to  a  tree  by  the  way- 
side, and  set  out  to  finish  the  remaining  distance  to  the 
town  on  foot. 

I  had  not  walked  more  than  a  few  hundred  yards, 
however,  when  I  discovered  that  the  fall  from  the  horse 
had  shaken  me  considerably.  I  turned  dizzy,  and  reeled 
and  staggered  as  I  walked.  I  kept  on  as  long  as  I  could, 
but  at  last,  despite  my  burning  impatience  to  get  for- 
ward, I  was  compelled  to  sit  down  by  the  roadside  and 
rest  until  the  feeling  passed  off. 

How  long  I  sat  there  I  do  not  know,  but  I  think  that 
for  a  short  time  I  must  have  lost  consciousness.  The 
rest  refreshed  me,  however,  and,  feeling  almost  myself 
again,  I  jumped  to  my  feet  quickly,  eager  to  resume 
my  journey. 

As  I  did  so  I  was  startled  by  a  low  cry,  like  an  ex- 
clamation of  fear,  from  some  one  close  to  me ;  and  by 
the  moon's  light  I  made  out  the  darkly  dressed  figure 
of  a  woman  some  twenty  or  thirty  paces  ahead.  I  had 
been  sitting  in  the  shadow  of  an  overhanging  tree,  and, 
no  doubt,  my  sudden  appearance  had  frightened  her. 

She  stood  looking  at  me  irresolutely,  and  when  I 
commenced  to  walk  toward  her  she  turned  and  sped 


The   Pursuit  267 

away  on  the  grass  by  the  roadside  noiselessly,  in  the 
hope,  no  doubt,  that  I  had  not  seen  her.  Obviously 
she  wished  to  avoid  me. 

She  was  nothing  to  me,  and  as  I  had  no  wish  to  add 
to  her  fright,  I  let  her  go,  and  merely  watched  her  as 
she  ran.  I  had  no  other  feeling  but  curiosity,  tem- 
pered with  regret  that  all  unwittingly  I  had  been  the 
means  of  frightening  her.  She  had  nearly  passed  out 
of  sight  when  I  heard  her  cry  out  again,  this  time  a 
louder  and  shriller  cry,  and  I  thought  I  saw  her  trip 
and  fall.  I  went  after  her  then,  as  quickly  as  I  could, 
and  found  her  kneeling  on  the  ground  moaning,  with 
her  hands  to  her  head. 

"  Are  you  hurt? "  I  asked.  "  I  am  afraid  I  frightened 
you.  I  trust " 

I  stopped  in  amazement,  for  she  turned  her  face 
quickly  to  me,  and  the  next  instant  I  was  down  by  her 
side  with  my  arm  round  her.  It  was  Minna  herself. 

"  Oh,  Hans,  is  it  really  you?  I  am  so  frightened. 
Save  me. "  And  without  another  word  she  let  her  head 
sink  on  my  shoulder,  while  she  twined  her  arms  round 
me  in  quite  hysterical  fear. 

"  Hush,  my  child.  You  are  safe  now,"  I  said  gently, 
in  the  soothing  tone  one  might  use  to  a  child  who  had 
hurt  itself. 

And  I  held  her  in  my  arms  in  silence,  my  heart  too 
full  for  words,  as,  indeed,  hers  was,  with  mingled  fear, 
relief,  and  agitation. 

"  Where  are  you  hurt,  Minna?  "  I  asked  after  a  time. 
"  Let's  see  if  I  cannot  help  you." 

"Don't  leave  me;  pray  don't  leave  me,"  she  whis- 
pered, clinging  to  me  more  tightly  than  ever.  "  I  shall 
be  better  in  a  moment — now  I  am  safe.  I  was  running 
away  from  you.  I  was  frightened  when  you  jumped 


268  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

up  suddenly  in  the  road,  and  I  fell  and  hurt  my  head. 
Don't  leave  me.  I  want  to  realize  that  I  am  really, 
really  safe." 

"  Don't  doubt  that.     None  can  hurt  you  now. " 

I  would  have  added  many  a  passionate  protestation 
in  my  excitement,  but  I  checked  myself,  remembering 
all  I  had  yet  to  tell  her.  I  let  a  longer  interval  pass 
before  I  spoke  again ;  for,  though  I  was  burning  with 
impatience  to  learn  how  she  came  to  be  in  this  way 
alone  on  the  road  and  to  take  means  to  get  her  to  some 
place  of  safety,  I  could  not  resist  the  thrilling  delight 
of  feeling  her  arms  about  me  and  her  head  nestling 
confidingly  against  my  breast.  The  mere  touch  of  her 
was  an  ecstasy  of  passion. 

"Let  me  see  to  your  hurt,  Minna,"  I  whispered. 
"We  have  a  long  journey  before  us." 

At  that  she  started,  and  began  to  tremble  again,  and 
said,  her  lips  faltering  as  the  words  fell  from  them : 

"  I  had  forgotten.  I  had  forgotten  everything  when 
I  felt  your  arms  around  me ;  but  he  will  follow  us.  We 
must  hurry  on.  Where  can  I  go  to  escape  him? " 

"You  mean  von  Nauheim? "  I  asked,  my  face  frown- 
ing at  thought  of  him. 

"  Oh,  there  is  so  much  to  tell  and  to  ask.  What  does 
it  all  mean,  Hans?  I  am  not  much  hurt.  It  is  here," 
and  she  put  her  hand  to  her  forehead,  which  was  bleed- 
ing slightly.  "  I  struck  it  against  a  stone  when  I 
tripped  and  fell,  I  think.  And  to  think  I  was  running 
from  you,  of  all  the  world!  " 

I  could  not  answer  the  tenderness  of  her  tone  or  the 
love  that  breathed  in  every  syllable  of  the  words.  If  I 
had  tried,  the  passion  that  was  pent  in  me  must  have 
come  rushing  out.  I  sought  to  affect  indifference, 
therefore ;  and  though  my  fingers  trembled  as  I  touched 


The   Pursuit  269 

her  face,  and  my  heart  ached  at  the  sight  of  the  little 
wound,  I  dressed  it  in  silence,  and  bound  it  up  with  my 
handkerchief. 

She  smiled  to  me  several  times  as  I  did  this,  and 
when  I  had  finished  she  murmured,  lifting  her  eyes  to 
mine: 

"  It  will  soon  be  well,  now  you  have  touched  it, 
cousin."  And  she  sighed.  But  the  next  instant  she 
started,  and  a  look  of  fear  showed  on  her  face.  "  I  can 
hear  the  sounds  of  a  horse  at  full  gallop.  I  have  been 
hearing  nothing  else  in  imagination  for  the  last  two 
hours ;  but  this  time  it  is  real. " 

She  spoke  very  wildly. 

I  listened  intently,  but  could  hear  nothing. 

"  It  is  only  imagination  still,"  I  replied.  "  And  if  it 
were  real,  it  would  mean  nothing." 

"  Listen !  "  and  she  put  up  her  finger  and  strained  her 
ears. 

She  was  right.  She  had  caught  the  sound  before  me ; 
but  now  I  could  distinguish  the  beat  of  hoofs  in  the  far 
distance. 

"  I  hear  it  now.  Which  way  is  the  sound  from?  "  I 
asked. 

She  began  to  tremble,  and  clung  to  me  again. 

"  It  is  from  that  way,"  pointing  in  the  direction  from 
which  I  had  come. 

I  listened  again,  and  again  found  she  was  right. 
"  Good !  "  I  exclaimed.     "  It  will  be  Praga.     He  is 
following  me. " 

"  Praga !  The  villain  who  killed  Gustav !  Oh,  Hans, 
it  is  true  then  that  you  are  in  league  with  that  terrible 
man.  I  would  not  believe  it  when  they  told  me." 
And  she  moved  away  from  me  as  she  spoke,  and  stood 
at  a  little  distance,  trembling. 


270  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

But  it  was  only  for  an  instant.  I  had  not  time  to 
reply  before  she  came  again  to  my  side  and  clung  to  me 
as  before,  crying  with  quick  agitation : 

"  I  did  not  mean  that,  cousin  Hans.  I  did  not  mean 
anything  in  distrust  of  you.  I  trust  you  altogether 
with  my  whole  heart  and  soul.  If  he  is  with  you,  I 
know  it  will  be  not  that  you  help  him  to  do  harm,  but 
that  he  helps  you  to  do  good.  I  know  that.  Believe 
and  forgive  me  for  shrinking  away  like  that.  But  I 
have  always  had  such  a  dread  and  loathing  at  his  mere 
name,  for  dear  Gustav's  sake.  Oh,  there  is  so  much  to 
be  made  clear." 

"  It  will  all  be  clear  enough  to  you  when  I  have  told 
you  my  story,"  I  said  in  as  unmoved  a  tone  as  I  could 
command  at  this  fresh  proof  of  her  absolute  confidence. 
"  And  that  will  be  as  soon  as  we  can  get  out  of  our 
present  plight.  Even  Praga  has  been  wronged,  and  in 
this  matter  at  least  he  is  with  us." 

After  that  we  stood  in  silence  listening  to  the  now 
fast  approaching  gallop  of  the  horse. 

Then  came  to  our  ears  the  whinnying  of  another 
horse.  The  galloping  stopped.  The  horse  was  pulled 
up  short. 

"  What  does  that  mean? "  asked  Minna  in  a  whisper 
of  alarm ;  for  all  sounds  breathed  the  language  of  dan- 
ger in  her  present  agitation. 

"  I  left  my  horse  tied  to  the  hedge  some  distance  be- 
hind there,  and  Praga  has  found  it,  I  expect. " 

Almost  directly  after  that  Minna  started  again  and 
cried : 

"  There  is  another  horseman  coming  from  the  oppo- 
site direction.  That  will  be  the  Count  von  Nauheim." 

"  It  is  luck  that  Praga  is  close  at  hand,  then,"  said  I, 
"for  I  have  no  arms.  It  will  be  a  dramatic  meeting." 


The   Pursuit  271 

And  now  Minna  was  pressing  close  to  my  side  again  ; 
and  in  this  way  we  stood  and  listened  to  the  more  dis- 
tant horseman's  approach,  and  heard  also  the  man  I 
judged  to  be  Praga  bring  his  animal  back  on  to  the 
hard  road  and  set  off  at  a  sharp  trot  toward  us. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE     MEETING 

IF  Minna  was  right  in  her  conjecture  that  the  horse- 
man coming  up  on  our  right  was  von  Nauheim,  it  was 
easy  to  foresee  that  the  meeting  between  him  and  Praga 
would  have  an  ugly  ending.  I  knew  well  enough  that 
the  Corsican's  fiery  hatred  of  the  count  would  urge  him 
to  take  his  revenge  on  the  spot,  and  for  the  moment  I 
was  a  little  at  a  loss  how  to  act. 

Praga  was  now  close  to  us,  riding  slowly  and  peering 
anxiously  on  each  side  of  him  for  any  traces  of  me. 
Obviously  I  had  better  let  him  know  that  I  was  at  hand. 

Minna  and  I  were  standing  close  under  the  shadow 
of  a  tree  whose  low  branches  concealed  us  effectually. 

"  Stop  here  while  I  go  to  speak  to  him,"  I  said  in  a 
low  tone. 

"  No,  no,  don't  leave  me,"  she  urged,  holding  my  arm 
in  a  nervous  clutch. 

"  Have  no  fear.  It  is  not  you  who  need  to  fear  now, 
but  that  villain  von  Nauheim,  if  it  is  indeed  he  coming 
up  the  hill. " 

"Don't  go  out  of  sight,  then,  cousin.  I  can't  help 
being  afraid — except  with  you  close  to  me. " 

I  whispered  a  word  of  reassurance,  and  stepped  out 
from  the  shadow  of  the  tree  into  the  moonlight  and 
went  toward  Praga. 

"  Who  is  there? "  he  called,  stopping  his  horse. 

"It  is  I,  Praga — the  Prince." 


The  Meeting  273 

"  Well  met,  indeed.  Is  that  your  horse  tied  to  a  tree 
back  there  a  bit? " 

"Yes,  he  fell  and  threw  me;  but  I  am  all  right. 
Quick,  bring  your  horse  on  to  the  grass  here,  and  under 
this  tree,"  and  I  led  him  into  the  shadow  of  the  tall 
hedge. 

"  Have  you  any  traces  of  them? "  he  asked  impatiently. 

"  Yes,  I  have  the  best  news.  I  have  found  the  Count- 
ess Minna.  She  has  escaped  from  that  villain,  and  I 
believe  that  the  horseman  you  can  hear  coming  up  the 
hill  now  is  the  man  himself  coming  in  pursuit  of  her." 

"Ah!"  Redrew  in  his  breath.  "We  are  in  luck 
indeed.  There  is  a  good  light,"  and  he  glanced  up  at 
the  moon,  and  I  heard  him  swear  into  his  mustache, 
and  mutter,  "  At  last !  "  Then,  after  listening  a  mo- 
ment, he  said :  "  He  is  breathing  his  horse  up  the  hill. 
He  little  guesses  who's  here  to  give  him  a  welcome. 
I'll  go  forward  and  meet  him.  I  hope  to  God  he  has  a 
sword  with  him.  Will  you  stay  here?  You  can  act  as 
second  for  us  both,  and  see  that  all  is  fair,  though  it 
would  serve  the  dog  right  if  I  were  to  shoot  him  down 
without  a  chance." 

He  walked  his  horse  slowly  forward  on  the  grass, 
making  no  noise,  and  keeping  out  of  sight  in  the  shadow 
of  the  hedge. 

I  went  back  to  Minna. 

The  on-coming  horseman  was  now  in  full  sight  of  us 
on  the  slope  of  the  white  hill,  the  moonlight  showing 
up  the  figures  of  both  horse  and  rider,  as  he  turned  to 
look  behind  him,  and  sat  listening  intently.  The 
silence  was  so  intense  that  we  seemed  to  feel  it,  and 
even  the  creak  of  the  saddle  leather,  as  he  turned, 
reached  our  ears. 

Then  we  saw  him  face  round  quickly  and  dash  his 
18 


274  A.  Dash  for  a  Throne 

heels  into  his  horse's  ribs  as  if  to  gallop  forward;  but, 
at  the  same  instant,  he  caught  sight  of  Praga,  and  he 
checked  his  horse  again  almost  as  he  was  in  the  very 
act  of  urging  it  forward.  The  next  moment  Praga 
was  at  his  side. 

For  a  second  neither  spoke.  Then  through  the  still 
night  air  we  heard  the  Corsican  laugh. 

"You're  riding  late,  my  lord,  the  most  noble  Count 
von  Nauheim,"  he  said  in  a  mocking  tone. 

No  answer  was  made,  and  Praga  put  in  words  the 
thought  that  flashed  upon  me. 

"  Don't  think  of  trying  to  escape.  You  won't  do  it 
this  time. "  He  spoke  sternly,  adding,  in  the  previous 
mocking  tone,  "  And  what  brings  you  out  for  horse  ex- 
ercise at  this  uncanny  hour,  most  noble? " 

The  reply  was  sudden  and  unexpected  by  me,  but  not 
by  the  Corsican. 

Von  Nauheim  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  point-blank 
at  Praga,  and  then  dashed  his  heels  into  his  horse's 
sides,  and  tried  to  make  off.  But  the  other  was  fully 
prepared  for  the  manoeuvre,  and  when  the  noise  of  the 
shot,  which  frightened  Minna  excessively,  and  woke 
the  echoes  of  the  woods  round  us,  had  died  away,  I  saw 
that  the  Corsican  had  grasped  the  bridle  of  von  Nau- 
heim's  horse  in  a  grip  of  steel,  till  the  beast  swerved 
round  and  nearly  unhorsed  its  rider,  while  with  his 
other  hand  Praga  had  struck  the  revolver  from  his  op- 
ponent's grasp. 

Then  he  laughed  again. 

"A  hand  is  rarely  steady  when  a  man's  shivering 
with  fright,"  he  said  in  his  bantering  tone;  but  he 
changed  it  swiftly,  and,  in  a  voice  deep  with  passion, 
he  cried,  "Get  off  your  horse,  you  coward,  or  I'll  drag 
you  from  your  saddle !  Do  you  hear^ " 


The  Meeting  275 

Von  Nauheim  made  no  reply,  and  no  effort  to  dis- 
mount. 

"Do  you  hear  me?  Dismount!  "  thundered  the  Cor- 
sican,  his  deep,  rolling  voice  vibrating-  with  wrath ;  and 
when  von  Nauheim  still  hesitated,  Praga  bent  forward, 
and,  with  a  strength  that  surprised  me,  tore  him  from 
his  horse,  and  forced  him  to  the  ground. 

Von  Nauheim  seemed  helpless  with  terror. 

"What  is  he  going  to  do? "  asked  Minna,  shivering. 

"We  must  wait,"  I  answered. 

Praga  dismounted  then,  and,  tying  the  reins  of  the 
two  horses  together,  led  them  to  a  tree,  and  fastened 
them.  Every  action  was  done  with  cool,  methodical 
purpose,  which  I  knew  was  carefully  calculated  to  in- 
crease the  other's  fear;  and  though  the  Corsican  pre- 
tended not  to  watch  the  latter 's  actions,  I  could  see 
that  the  whole  time  the  dark,  dangerous  eyes  were  tak- 
ing the  keenest  note  of  every  gesture  and  movement. 

When  he  had  tethered  the  horses,  he  crossed  the  road 
back  to  where  von  Nauheim  stood  in  an  attitude  of  sul- 
len dejection.  He  was  like  one  fascinated  and  paralyzed 
with  fear. 

All  at  once  I  saw  Praga  start  and  glance  in  my  direc- 
tion, as  a  thought  seemed  to  occur  to  him. 

"  Come,"  he  said  in  a  voice  of  rough  command,  short, 
sharp,  and  stern.  "This  way,"  motioning  along  the 
road  toward  the  spot  where  Minna  and  I  stood. 

I  wondered  what  he  meant  to  do. 

Von  Nauheim  did  not  move,  and  Praga,  seizing  him 
by  the  arm,  half  led,  half  dragged  him  forward. 

"  You  can  do  an  act  of  justice  for  once  in  your  life. " 

He  clipped  the  words,  and  followed  them  with  a  short, 
sneering  laugh,  a  curious  mixture  of  humor  and  anger. 

"  We  are  not  alone  here,  and  I  have  a  fancy  that  you 


276  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

shall  tell  what  you  know  about  the  death  of  young  Gus- 
tav  von  Gramberg. " 

At  this  von  Nauheim  looked  up,  and  stared  rather 
wildly  about  him.  I  saw  Praga's  motive  then,  and  was 
glad. 

"Halt!  most  noble  and  honorable  of  counts,"  he 
cried  when  they  stood  about  twenty  paces  from  us. 
Then,  in  a  rough,  stern  tone,  he  added,  "  Now  tell  the 
truth — the  part  you  played  in  it. " 

At  that  von  Nauheim  made  a  sudden  dash  and  strug- 
gle to  get  free  from  his  antagonist's  grip;  but  he  might 
as  well  have  tried  to  get  away  from  his  master,  the 
devil,  as  from  the  iron  hand  that  held  and  then  shook 
him  till  his  teeth  chattered. 

I  guessed  that  he  had  caught  sight  of  us. 

"Now  the  truth!  "  cried  Praga  in  a  truly  terrifying 
tone.  "  Out  with  it.  You  know  me  by  this  time. " 

The  other  glanced  about  him  in  abject  fright,  and 
then  said,  in  a  whisper  hoarse  and  husky  with  agitation : 

"  Are  you  there,  Minna? " 

"  Silence ! "  thundered  Praga,  shaking  him  again. 
"  Speak  what  I  have  told  you — no  more,  no  less. " 

For  a  time  von  Nauheim  tried  vainly  to  find  words, 
and  the  sight  of  his  fear  was  so  appalling  and  repulsive 
that  Minna  clung  closer  to  me,  and  hid  her  face  against 
my  arm. 

Another  threat  and  command  came  from  Praga,  and 
then,  in  a  voice  that  shook  and  quavered,  and  broke 
again  and  again,  he  began  the  shameful  story  of  his 
own  abominable  part  in  the  intrigue  which  had  led  to 
the  duel  between  Minna's  brother  and  the  Corsican; 
and  the  latter  would  not  let  him  halt  until  the  whole 
villanous  tale  was  complete. 

It  took  a  long  time  in  the  telling,  and  I  could  feel  the 


The  Meeting  277 

girl  shrink  and  wince  as  the  truth  came  out  in  the 
dreary,  monotonous  voice  of  the  terror-possessed 
wretch. 

"Take  me  away,  cousin  Hans,  I  cannot  bear  this," 
she  cried  to  me  piteously.  "  My  poor,  poor  brother!  " 

"  Yes,  we  will  go,"  I  said.  "  But  it  was  right  for  you 
to  hear  the  tale,  and  to  know  who  in  reality  played 
the  villain's  part  in  it." 

I  led  her  out  in  the  moonlight  then,  and  told  Praga 
that  we  should  go. 

" As  you  will, "  he  answered;  "I  will  follow.  Take 
my  horse,  and  I'll  do  the  best  I  can  with  yours." 

In  turning  to  speak  to  me  he  loosened  his  hold  some- 
what of  von  Nauheim  for  an  instant,  and  the  latter, 
with  what  sounded  like  a  great  sob  of  fear,  broke  away, 
and  threw  himself  on  the  ground  at  Minna's  feet. 

"  For  God's  sake,  don't  go  away,  Minna.  Don't 
leave  me  with  this  man.  He  will  murder  me.  Have 
mercy  on  me.  Plead  with  him  for  me.  You  can  save 
me.  Minna,  do  you  hear?  For  God's  sake,  have 
mercy,"  and  he  caught  hold  of  her  dress  and  clung  to 
her — the  type  of  broken,  abject,  fright-becrazed  cow- 
ardice. 

"  Don't  touch  me !  "  she  cried.  "  Your  hands  are  red 
with  my  brother's  blood." 

"Get  up,  you  crawling,  unclean  brute,  and  cease 
your  whining,"  said  Praga,  dragging  him  to  his  feet. 

"Don't  let  him  be  killed,  cousin  Hans,"  whispered 
Minna.  "  He  is  not  fit  to  die.  But,  oh,  take  me  away. 
This  scene  is  killing  me,"  she  cried  in  distress. 

At  that  von  Nauheim  broke  out  with  more  pleas  and 
entreaties,  his  voice  shaking  as  he  trembled  in  his  fear. 
I  did  not  know  what  to  do.  I  had  promised  Praga  his 
revenge;  and  in  all  truth  I  could  see  no  reason  for 


278  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

interfering  to  save  the  man's  life.  He  had  played  the 
scoundrel  all  through,  and  if  ever  a  man  deserved  death 
he  did. 

But  at  the  same  time  it  was  Minna  who  asked  for 
mercy,  and  I  loved  her  for  it,  and  my  heart  was  moved 
by  her  appeal.  I  stood  thus  in  hesitation,  when  an 
interruption  came  which,  for  the  instant,  I  welcomed 
gladly. 

We  were  to  have  more  company  on  that  lonely  spot ; 
and  we  all  four  heard  at  the  same  moment  the  sound  of 
horses  coming  quickly  up  the  hill.  A  minute  later  we 
caught  sight  of  a  couple  of  figures  in  the  moonlight. 

The  effect  on  von  Nauheim  was  electrical. 

He  sprang  up  and  gave  a  loud  shout  for  help. 

"  Help,  help !     Murder !     Help !  " 

The  cry  rang  over  the  country-side  and  awakened  a 
thousand  echoes  in  the  still  night  air. 

An  answering  shout  came  from  the  approaching 
men,  and  they  dashed  headlong  toward  us,  reigning  up 
their  horses  almost  on  to  their  haunches. 

"  What  is  this? "  cried  a  voice  which  I  seemed  to 
recognize.  "  Who  called  for  help? " 

"It  is  Major  Gessler,  Hans,"  whispered  Minna. 
"Take  care." 

While  I  was  assuring  her  that  all  was  well,  and  that 
I  had  an  order  to  him  for  her  release,  Praga  was 
answering  him. 

"You  come  in  excellent  time,  gentlemen,  whoever 
you  are.  This  is  the  thing  that  screeched  for  help," 
pointing  to  von  Nauheim. 

"Ah,  the  Count  von  Nauheim,"  said  the  major  in  a 
tone  of  satisfaction. 

"  There  is  the  lady  you  seek,  Major  Gessler,"  said  the 
poltroon,  pointing  a  trembling  finger  to  Minna.  "  And 


The  Meeting  279 

I  call  you  to  witness  that  I  have  been  stopped  on  the 
highway  by  these  two  men  and  my  life  threatened.  I 
claim  your  protection. " 

The  major  looked  from  one  to  the  other  of  us  in  in- 
decision, and  then  the  Corsican  laughed  a  deep,  rolling 
laugh  of  contemptuous  anger. 

"  By  the  nails  that  pierced  the  feet,  you  are  a  paltry 
thing !  "  he  cried.  "  Nothing's  too  vile  and  base  for  you 
to  save  your  dirty  little  life;  is  it?  A  minute  since  you 
were  grovelling  to  the  Countess  Minna,  hanging  to  her 
skirts,  and  begging  her  to  save  you ;  and  now  you  think 
to  try  and  curry  favor  with  Major  Gessler  by  this  lick- 
spittling  attempt  to  betray  her.  But  you  don't  know 
him,  lily-liver;  he's  the  last  man  in  the  world  to  step  in 
to  prevent  an  affair  of  this  kind.  This  is  an  affair  of 
honor,  major,  if  we  can  use  that  term  with  a  man  like 
this ;  and  of  course  you  will  not  think  of  interfering, 
except  to  see  that  everything  is  done  duly  and  in  good 
order." 

There  was  a  significance  in  his  tone  which  did  not 
escape  me. 

"  I  must  first  learn  the  reason  of  your  all  being  here, 
if  you  please. " 

"  I  was  returning  to "  began  von  Nauheim,  when 

Praga  cut  him  short. 

"  Silence !  "  he  thundered ;  "  you  will  only  lie. "  Then 
to  the  major  he  said,  "  I  know  no  reason  why  I  should 
explain  my  conduct  to  you." 

"I  can  best  explain  this,  I  think,"  I  said.  "The 
Count  von  Nauheim  had  induced  or  compelled  the 
Countess  Minna  here  to  leave  your  custody,  and  after 
some  time  she  escaped  from  him.  I  was  following,  and 
by  the  happiest  of  coincidences  we  met.  She  will  now 
remain  in  my  care.  Signer  Praga  was  riding  after  me, 


280  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  the  Count  von  Nauheim  came  up  soon  afterward  in 
search  of  the  countess.  Between  Signor  Praga  and  the 
count  there  is  an  old  quarrel,  and  it  was  in  course  of 
arrangement  when  you  arrived." 

"  Then  you  will  return  with  me,  countess? "  said  the 
officer. 

"  On  the  contrary,  as  I  have  already  said,  my  cousin 
will  remain  in  my  charge,"  and  I  handed  him  the  letter 
from  Baron  Heckscher. 

He  read  it  by  the  light  of  the  moon,  and  we  waited 
in  silence  till  he  had  finished. 

"You  are  to  hand  me  an  authority  to  your  agents," 
he  said  as  he  folded  up  the  letter. 

"  I  have  also  to  demand  an  explanation  for  the  treat- 
ment I  received  on  my  arrival,  as  I  understood,  by 
your  instructions,"  I  answered  sharply. 

"  It  can  all  best  be  done  at  the  house  itself.  My  work 
is  finished  here,  and  I  must  set  about  this  other  matter 
of  the  Duke  Marx  without  delay,"  he  said.  "Count 
von  Nauheim  has  also  an  explanation  to  give  me.  We 
had  better  proceed  to  the  house,  Prince. " 

At  this  Praga  showed  signs  of  restiveness,  while  von 
Nauheim  agreed  eagerly. 

"I  have  a  word  to  say  about  that,"  exclaimed  the 
Corsican,  intervening.  "  I  have  brought  this  fox  to 
earth,  and  have  no  mind  to  see  him  slip  through  my 
fingers.  Prince,  you  won't  forget  our  compact? " 

"  I  shall  be  responsible  for  the  count's  custody,"  put 
in  Major  Gessler. 

"  Maybe,  but  you  have  an  unfortunate  trick  of  let- 
ting your  prisoners  slip  the  leash,"  cried  Praga  bluntly. 
"  I  shouldn't  trust  myself  in  that  house  again,  Prince, 
if  I  were  you.  There  may  be  more  treachery 
there. " 


The  Meeting  281 

"Those  are  ugly  words,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  major 
hotly. 

"  They  describe  an  ugly  fact,  major,"  returned  Praga 
recklessly,  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders.  "  I  am  not 
concerned  to  pick  my  words  to  tickle  your  ears.  If 
you  don't  like  them  " — and  he  threw  up  his  hands — "  I 
can't  help  it." 

"  I  need  not  give  you  my  assurance,  I  trust,  Prince 
von  Gramberg,"  said  the  officer,  turning  to  me,  "  that  so 
long  as  I  am  at  that  house  your  personal  safety  and 
that  of  the  Countess  Minna  will  be  absolutely  secure. " 

"  If  I  doubt  it,  you  have  only  the  acts  of  your  own 
men  to  blame,"  I  answered  curtly. 

"  That  can  be  explained.  When  the  Countess  Minna 
was  taken  away  by  this  " — he  was  going  to  say  gentle- 
man, but  substituted — "by  this  count,  I  feared  that 
some  further  plot  might  be  afloat,  and  I  left  instructions 
that  you  should  be  detained  until  my  return  from  my 
search  for  her.  If  my  men  exceeded  their  instructions 
in  any  way — I  had  only  time  to  give  them  very  hur- 
riedly— I  beg  to  tender  you  my  sincerest  apologies. 
But  at  least  the  countess  here  will  tell  you  that  while 
she  was  in  my  care  complete  regard  was  paid  alike  to 
her  comfort  and  safety." 

"  Certainly  I  would  trust  Major  Gessler's  word,"  said 
Minna. 

"  Will  you  return  to  the  house? "  I  asked. 

"  Yes,  if  we  have  his  word  that  we  are  to  be  at  liberty 
to  leave  it.  But  I  would  rather  go  to  Gramberg. " 

"  I  pledge  you  my  word  on  that,"  said  the  major. 

I  reflected  that  we  had  better  not  go  to  Gramberg 
until  I  had  had  an  opportunity  of  explaining  the  whole 
position  to  Minna,  and  in  fact  I  had  another  plan  in  my 
thoughts. 


282  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

But  while  this  conversation  had  been  taking  place, 
and  our  attention  had  been  engrossed,  von  Nauheim 
had  stolen  unobserved  to  the  place  where  Praga  had 
tethered  the  horses,  and,  having  cut  the  reins  which 
tied  the  two  together,  he  leapt  on  the  back  of  his  own 
and  made  off  down  the  road  at  a  hard  gallop. 

With  a  furious  oath  Praga  ran  to  his  horse,  caught  it 
cleverly,  jumped  into  the  saddle,  and  dashed  after  the 
fugitive  in  mad  pursuit.  The  major  told  the  man  who 
was  with  him  to  follow,  and  we  stood  and  watched  the 
wild  race  as  the  three  streamed  down  the  hill  from  us 
at  unequal  distances,  along  a  flat  stretch  of  level  road 
at  the  bottom,  and  then  up  a  long  incline  beyond. 

Praga  was  the  better  horseman  or  had  the  better 
mount,  for  we  saw  him  gaining  fast  on  the  dark  figure 
in  front,  and  then  as  they  neared  the  top  of  the  incline 
we  heard  the  report  of  a  pistol  shot,  followed  at  a  short 
interval  by  another. 

A  moment  later  the  two  leading  figures  passed  out  of 
sight,  and  we  were  left  to  conjecture  what  had  hap- 
pened. 

"  Had  you  better  not  push  on  to  the  house? "  asked 
the  major.  "  I  will  ride  back  and  see  the  result.  It 
has  an  ugly  look.  I  shall  probably  overtake  you  before 
long,"  and  with  that  he  wheeled  his  horse  round  and 
galloped  off,  leaving  Minna  and  myself  alone  again. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

"  I    AM    NOT    THE    PRINCE  " 

"  I  THINK  we  had  better  return  to  that  house,"  I  said 
to  Minna.  "  My  horse  is  close  here,  and  you  can  ride 
while  I  lead  him.  You  must  be  worn  out." 

"  I  will  do  whatever  you  think  best.  I  believe  Major 
Gessler  is  to  be  trusted. " 

"  Yes,  I  think  so  now.  I  have  given  him  an  order 
from  those  for  whom  he  is  acting  that  you  are  to  be  de- 
tained no  longer." 

"  How  did  you  find  out  where  I  was?  "  she  asked.  "  I 
am  longing  to  hear  everything. " 

"You  had  better  have  some  rest  first.  There  is 
much  to  tell  and  a  weighty  decision  to  make.  Let  us 
start. " 

I  led  the  way  to  where  I  had  tied  the  horse,  and, 
having  unfastened  the  reins,  I  walked  him  up  and  down 
once  or  twice  to  see  if  he  showed  any  signs  of  lameness 
as  the  result  of  his  fall,  and  whether  he  was  fit  to  carry 
the  girl.  He  appeared  all  right  and  much  the  fresher 
for  the  rest,  so  I  lifted  her  into  the  saddle,  and  taking 
the  rein  in  my  hand  started  on  the  return  journey. 

"  You  can  tell  me  as  we  go  along  what  has  happened 
to  you  since  the  ball,"  I  said. 

"  It  has  been  a  terrible  experience,  but  it  is  simple 
enough  to  describe.  In  the  crowd  at  the  ball  I  got  sep- 
arated from  Captain  von  Krugen,  and  some  one  just 
like  him  came  up  and  said  we  had  better  stand  out  of 


284  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

the  throng  a  minute ;  and  when  we  had  moved  away, 
he  added  that  you  wished  me  to  be  in  the  ante-room 
instead  of  the  ball-room.  I  suspected  nothing,  of 
course,  and  went  with  him,  and  then  some  people  came 
pressing  round  me,  and  some  one  said  that  as  a  matter 
of  fact  they  had  bad  news  to  break  to  me — that  you  had 
met  with  an  accident  and  were  seriously  hurt,  and 
wished  me  to  go  at  once  to  you.  I  did  not  hesitate  an 
instant  when  I  heard  that,  and  so  I  fell  into  the  trap. 
You  don't  blame  me?" 

"  Blame  you  for  being  solicitous  about  me? "  I  asked, 
turning  and  glancing  up  to  her  with  a  smile.  "  But  it 
was  a  cowardly  scheme.  And  had  you  not  seen  me  in 
the  ball-room? " 

"  Yes,  of  course,  and  I  said  so.  But  they  told  me  it 
had  happened  only  a  few  minutes  before,  and  that  you 
had  been  carried  at  once  to  the  house  of  a  doctor,  where 
you  were  expecting  me.  They  told  me  you  might  die, 
and  at  that  I  was  so  eager  to  get  to  you  that  I  would 
have  gone  anywhere." 

'  She  paused  again  here,  but  this  time  I  would  not 
trust  myself  to  look  round. 

"In  this  way,"  she  continued,  "I  was  lured  into  the 
carriage,  and  after  that,  of  course,  I  was  helpless. 
They  took  me  to  some  house  near  Munich,  and  the 
place  seemed  alive  with  armed  men.  There,  to  my 
surprise,  I  found  aunt  Gratz,  who  told  me  that  Marie 
had  betrayed  us  all,  and  that  I  was  in  a  trap.  I  felt  at 
first  glad  in  a  sense,  because  I  knew  then  that  you  were 
not  hurt  after  all ;  but  presently  I  grew  angry,  for  she 
began  to  tell  me  all  kinds  of  horrible  things  about  you ; 
I  will  tell  you  them  some  time.  And  when  my  anger 
passed,  I  was  nearly  broken-hearted,  for,  as  all  our  plans 
were  known  to  the  others,  I  was  afraid,  horribly  afraid, 


"I  Am  Not  the  Prince "  285 

of  what  might  happen  to  you,  and  what  mischief  my 
foolish  credulity  might  cause  you.  It  was  a  time 
crowded  with  terror,"  she  sighed. 

"  And  after  that?  "  I  asked,  wishing  her  to  finish  her 
story  before  I  began  mine. 

"  In  the  early  morning  Major  Gessler  sent  word  that 
we  were  to  prepare  for  a  journey,  and  then  we  thought 
of  writing  you.  I  should  not  have  thought  it  possible, 
but  aunt  Gratz  suggested  it,  and  said  that  she  was  sure 
she  could  get  it  delivered  to  you.  I  wrote  it  then 
readily  enough;  but  what  I  said  I  do  not  know — I 
scarcely  knew  at  the  time — it  must  have  read  like  a 
wild,  incoherent  cry — for  that's  what  it  was." 

"  How  did  you  know  you  were  coming  to  Landsberg? 
I  have  been  much  perplexed  by  your  letter,  why  your 
aunt  should  have  spoken  in  this  way  of  me  in  regard 
to  it." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  can  give  you  the  clew.  She  knew 
about  Landsberg — she  seemed  to  know  everything; 
and  from  what  I  have  heard  to-night,  she  was  acting  in 
collusion  with  that  man.  His  object  was,  as  I  now 
know,  to  let  you  have  the  clew  where  to  follow  us,  so 
that  he  could  draw  you  into  a  snare,  for  some  object  I 
am  almost  afraid  to  think  of.  But  something  happened 
to  interfere  with  the  plans." 

"  I  know  what  that  was.  He  learnt,  probably  from 
Major  Gessler,  that  I  was  coming  to  Landsberg  direct 
from  Baron  Heckscher,  and  probably  there  would  be 
some  special  reference  to  him  in  the  baron's  message." 

"  That  may  have  been  it.  At  any  rate  he  came  to  us 
in  a  state  of  great  excitement,  declared  that  he  had 
found  out  a  plot  to  kill  me,  that  you  had  communicated 
with  him,  and  that  we  three  were  to  set  off  at  once  to 
meet  you  at  a  place  he  named ;  I  forget  its  name.  I 


286  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

was  suspicious  at  first ;  but  when  he  declared  that  there 
was  to  be  a  clear-up  of  everything  and  a  complete  un- 
derstanding between  us  all,  and  that  all  they  had  said 
about  you  was  not  true,  and  when  aunt  Gratz  joined 
in  persuading  me,  I  consented.  We  got  away  secretly, 
and  I  was  glad  indeed  to  leave.  They  all  appear  to 
have  known  that  with  me  your  name  was  the  one  argu- 
ment sure  to  prevail,"  she  said  softly. 

"It  has  led  you  into  plenty  of  perils,  Minna,"  I  re- 
plied. 

"  But  it  will  lead  me  out  of  them  again.  You  have 
done  it  already,  and  I  do  not  care  now  what  happens. 
It  is  good  to  have  some  one  to  trust — and,  best  of  all, 
to  be  with  him. "  She  paused  and  sighed  contentedly, 
and  then  exclaimed:  "But  why  don't  you  say  some- 
thing? I  have  not  done  wrong,  have  I? " 

What  could  I  say,  if  I  spoke  at  all,  but  turn  and  tell 
her  that  this  trust  in  me  was  just  the  sweetest  savor 
that  could  be  put  into  my  life ;  and  that  to  hear  it  from 
her  own  lips  was  enough  to  set  every  pulse  in  my  body 
beating  fast  with  my  love?  But  yet  I  could  not  speak 
this  until  I  had  told  her  all  from  my  side ;  and  so  I 
gripped  the  bridle  rein  the  tighter  and  plodded  on 
through  the  moonlight,  keeping  my  face  resolutely 
turned  from  her  lest  the  sight  of  her  beauty  and  the 
knowledge  of  her  trust  should  burst  the  last  bonds  of 
my  self-restraint. 

"  No,  you  have  done  no  wrong,  Minna ;  but  tell  me 
the  rest." 

She  waited  a  second,  and  then  continued : 

"  In  the  carriage,  to-night,  the  truth  came  out.  Aunt 
Gratz  and  he  quarrelled,  and  with  a  sort  of  blunt,  bru- 
tal frankness  he  blurted  out  the  truth  that  we  were  fly- 
ing from,  not  to,  you,  and  that  he  was  carrying  me  away 


"I   Am  Not  the   Prince"  287 

to  make  me  his  wife.  In  his  mad  rage  against  you  he 
heaped  all  kinds  of  abuse  on  you,  knowing  that  it  made 
my  blood  boil.  He  is  a  villain. " 

"  He  has  paid  for  his  treachery  by  now,  probably,"  I 
said,  and  then  there  came  a  longer  pause. 

"  Don't  you  wish  to  hear  any  more?  "  she  asked  gently, 
as  if  anxious  to  make  me  speak  to  her ;  and  when  I  told 
her  that  I  was  only  too  eager  to  hear  it  all,  she  went 
on :  "I  thought  it  best  to  say  nothing,  but  I  made  up 
my  mind  that  I  would  slip  away  and  seek  any  one's 
help  rather  than  stay  with  them.  My  great  thought 
was  to  get  back  to  the  house  at  Landsberg ;  and  I  sat 
as  if  prostrated  with  grief  and  waited,  watching  for  a 
chance.  It  came  at  last,  at  a  town  where  we  stopped 
to  change  horses,  and  he  got  out  of  the  carriage. 
There  was  some  delay ;  and  I  saw  him  enter  the  house. 
Aunt  Gratz  was  half  dead  with  fatigue,  and  lay  back  in 
the  carriage  and  fell  asleep.  I  opened  the  door  on  my 
side  very  softly  and  slipped  out,  without  disturbing  her, 
and  then  ran  off  in  the  thick  dusk  for  my  life.  I  was 
soon  missed,  of  course,  and  should  not  have  escaped 
had  it  not  been  that  there  was  a  wagon  standing  not 
far  away,  though  out  of  sight  of  those  in  the  carriage. 
There  was  no  one  in  it,  and  I  jumped  in  and  hid  myself 
among  some  hay  and  sacks  that  lay  in  the  bottom.  I 
lay  concealed  there  a  long  time  and  heard  the  hue  and 
cry  raised,  and  people  searching  for  me,  though  no  one 
thought  to  look  in  the  wagon.  Presently  the  wagoner 
came,  and  we  started  off  at  a  slow  pace.  I  let  him  go 
on  for  a  few  miles,  and  then  to  his  intense  astonish- 
ment I  rose  up  suddenly  from  among  the  sacks  and  told 
him  I  would  give  him  money  if  he  would  take  me  tow- 
ard Landsberg." 

"  Poor  Minna!     What  an  experience  for  you." 


288  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  did  not  care  then,  for  I  was  free  from  that  man. 
The  wagoner  was  a  good  fellow  and,  though  I  did  not 
know  it,  we  had  been  coming  in  this  direction,  and  he 
set  me  down  about  a  mile  from  here,  where  his  road 
turned  off.  I  walked  on  to  be  frightened  again,  but 
this  time — by  you ;  and  then  to  feel  safe,  oh,  so  safe, 
again." 

"  You  did  splendidly !  "  I  cried  warmly ;  for  her  pluck 
and  resource  had  been  admirable.  And  then  I  walked 
on  in  silence  thinking  how  best  I  could  commence  my 
confession. 

"  Can  you  hear  sounds  of  any  one  coming?  "  she  asked. 

I  stopped  the  horse  directly  and  stood  listening. 
Turning  my  head,  I  glanced  in  her  face  and  saw  a  smile 
there. 

"  I  hear  nothing;  do  you? "  I  asked. 

"No.     I  didn't  expect  to.     I "     She  stopped. 

"You  what?" 

"  I've  seen  nothing  but  the  back  of  your  head  for  two 
miles,  I  should  think,  at  the  least.  And  I  thought  per- 
haps the  horse  might  need  a  rest. " 

It  was  a  little  act  of  coquetry  after  all. 

"  He  must  be  a  sorry  beast  if  he  tires  in  carrying  such 
a  burden,"  said  I,  smiling.  "  But  we  have  come  half 
the  distance,  I  think.  You  haven't  much  farther  to  go. 
Aren't  you  tired?" 

I  was  standing  close  to  the  saddle,  and  she  looked 
down  into  my  face  without  speaking  for  a  while.  Then 
she  said: 

"  I  was  thinking — cousin." 

The  pause  before  the  use  of  the  word  and  the  empha- 
sis upon  it  told  me  she  had  more  than  her  usual  mean- 
ing. 

"  I  can  guess  your  thought,  I  believe,"  I  said. 


"I    WAS   THINKING— COUSIN.' 


"I  Am  Not  the  Prince"  289 

"Well?" 

"  You  were  wondering  whether  you  are  right  still  to 
call  me  cousin." 

"I  don't  believe  what  they  told  me,"  she  replied 
quickly,  for  I  had  guessed  her  thought. 

"What  did  they  tell  you?  No;  I  won't  ask  that 
either.  I  will  tell  you  freely  all  that  has  to  be  told." 

I  paused  an  instant,  and  suddenly  the  clean,  clear 
moonlight  which  flooded  everything  so  brilliantly 
seemed  to  turn  chill  and  fear-laden  for  me. 

The  horse  moved  restlessly,  striking  the  ground 
harshly  with  his  fore  hoof.  I  stroked  his  neck  to  quiet 
him  and  left  my  hand  on  the  crest  of  it. 

"  Well? "     The  question  was  asked  softly  and  gently. 

"  It  is  hard  to  tell  it,"  I  answered  in  a  low  and  rather 
unsteady  voice. 

"  To  me?  Are  you  afraid  of  me?  "  and  I  felt  a  hand 
placed  on  mine. 

"  It  is  hard  to  speak  words  that  may  divide  us — but  I 
have  deceived  you.  I  am  not  your  cousin.  I  am  not 
the  Prince." 

I  felt  the  fingers  on  mine  start  and  tighten  for  a  sec- 
ond, and  then  close  in  a  warm,  trustful  pressure. 

"  Can  I  make  the  telling  easier  for  you?  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  that  that  was  so ;  but  the  rest?  Who  are 
you?  Don't  tell  me  unless  you  wish.  I  trust  you  none 
the  less.  You  remember  I  told  you  days  ago — how 
long  it  seems — you  had  a  secret  and  that  I  saw  it. 
Now  I  know  part  of  it ;  and  I  am  glad  of  the  knowledge 
— not  glad  that  you  are  not  my  cousin  Hans ;  glad  only 
that  you  have  told  me.  But  I  am  eager  for  the  un- 
known part." 

I  could  not  beat  down  my  feelings  to  speak  coolly ; 
so  I  waited  to  fight  for  my  self-control. 


290  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  They  told  me  only  one  thing  that  should  be  hard 
for  you  to  tell  me — and  that  I  know  was  untrue,"  she 
continued,  as  if  it  were  a  pleasure  to  bare  her  heart  to 
me.  "  That  you  were  not  true  to  me,  but  seeking  to 
betray  me.  I  would  have  laughed  at  the  absurdity  if 
the  malignity  of  such  a  slander  had  not  maddened 
me." 

"No,  I  have  been  no  traitor  to  you,"  I  answered 
readily.  "That  I  can  declare  from  my  soul.  But  I 
have  kept  this  knowledge  from  you.  Even  that  I 
would  not  have  done  but  that  I  could  not  see  how  else 
I  could  go  on  helping  you.  I  could  do  nothing  unless 
men  thought  I  was  the  Prince." 

"Yet  you  could  have  trusted  me,"  she  said,  with  a 
gentle  sigh  of  reproach. 

"  Had  I  told  you,  I  could  no  longer  have  remained  at 
the  castle.  It  was  not  that  I  did  not  trust  you — indeed, 
I  longed  to  tell  you,  not  only  that  but  all  the  rest." 

"  The  rest? "  she  repeated  softly  in  a  low  voice  that 
trembled ;  and  again  I  felt  her  fingers  on  mine  start. 

"  Yes.  The  secret  at  which  even  you  did  not  guess. 
I  can  judge  pretty  much  what  these  people  have  told 
you — that  I  am  an  adventurer  and  an  ex-play-actor. 
There  is  a  secret  behind  that  which  I  have  not  shared 
with  a  single  soul  on  earth;  but  I  will  tell  you." 

Then  I  told  her  plainly  of  my  meeting  with  von 
Fromberg,  the  mistake  under  which  I  was  first  taken  to 
Gramberg,  and  the  chain  of  circumstances  which  had 
kept  me  from  breaking  silence  as  to  my  identity  and 
had  seemed  to  drive  me  into  accepting  the  part  that 
had  been  thrust  upon  me. 

I  did  not  dwell  too  strongly  upon  the  one  motive  that 
had  influenced  me — the  wish  to  save  her  from  the  plot 
against  her  safety.  But  she  was  quick  to  read  it  all ; 


"I   Am  Not  the  Prince'*  291 

and  maybe  her  feelings  for  me  prompted  her  to  give  it 
exaggerated  importance. 

She  listened  almost  in  silence,  merely  asking  a  ques- 
tion here  and  there  when  some  point  was  not  clear,  and 
at  the  close  she  sat  thoughtful,  and  said  sweetly : 

"  It  means  a  great  loss  to  me — and  yet  perhaps  a 
greater  gain." 

I  look,  d  up  with  a  question  in  my  eyes. 

"  I  have  lost  my  cousin,  it  seems — surely  the  truest 
cousin  that  ever  a  woman  had ;  but  then  I  have  gained 
a  friend  whose  stanchness  must  be  even  greater  than 
my  cousin's,  for  there  was  no  claim  of  kinship  to  motive 
his  sacrifices  for  me.  But,  cousin  or  friend,  you  are 
still "  She  did  not  finish  the  sentence. 

"  Still  what?  "  I  asked. 

I  think  she  was  going  to  make  some  pretty  quip  in 
reply,  for  I  saw  a  smile  half  mischievous  and  all  witch- 
ing on  her  face ;  but,  reading  by  my  looks  how  much 
store  I  set  on  her  answer,  she  said  earnestly : 

"  The  one  man  in  the  world  who  has  proved  himself 
as  true  as  steel  to  me,  and  whom  I  trust  with  my  whole 
heart." 

"You  may,"  I  answered,  with  an  earnestness  equal 
to  her  own,  and  my  hand,  which  was  resting  on  the 
horse's  neck,  turned  and  sought  hers,  and  pressed  it  in 
a  strong,  firm  clasp.  "Whatever  happens,"  I  added, 
"  I  can  at  least  be  your  friend,  and  I  will." 

We  stood  thus  awhile,  our  heart-thoughts  in  close 
sympathy,  till  she  started  and  lifted  her  head.  Those 
quick  ears  of  hers  had  caught  the  sound  of  a  horse's 
hoofs  approaching  from  behind  us. 

"  Some  one  is  coming.  You  have  not  yet  told  me 
something.  How  am  I  to  call  you,  and  by  what  name 
to  think  of  you?" 


292  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  There  is  still  a  longish  story  to  tell,  and  I  will  tell  it 
all  to  you ;  but  for  the  present  we  must  keep  up  our 
play  of  cousinship  until  the  truth  can  be  safely  told. 
That  will  not  be  long  now. " 

"  And  then?  But  there,  I  do  not  wish  our  cousinship 
to  end.  I  am  glad  to  know  so  much,  however.  Every 
time  I  say  '  cousin '  I  shall  think  of  this  talk  to-night." 

I  took  the  horse's  bridle  again  then,  and  led  him  on, 
for  the  sounds  of  the  hoofs  behind  us  were  growing 
clear  and  distinct,  and  we  did  not  speak  until  Major 
Gessler  rode  up  to  us. 

"  You  have  not  got  so  far  as  I  expected,  Prince,"  was 
his  greeting.  "I'm  afraid  I  seemed  to  leave  you  rather 
in  the  lurch." 

"  This  horse  of  ours  was  tired,  and  we  stayed  a  time 
on  the  road,"  I  answered,  not  without  a  slight  feeling 
of  embarrassment.  We  should  probably  have  reached 
the  house  at  Landsberg  but  for  the  long  halt  I  had 
made  in  telling  my  story.  "  But  what  is  your  news, 
major? " 

"  They  are  following,"  he  said  briefly,  and  he  made  a 
sign  to  me  that  something  very  serious  had  occurred, 
which  I  judged  he  did  not  care  to  tell  before  Minna. 

She  saw  the  gesture  and  read  it  also. 

"  Have  they  fought?  "  she  asked. 

"  No,  there  was  no  fighting ;  but  the  Count  von  Nau- 
heim  has  met  with  a  serious  accident — very  serious." 

He  thought  evidently  that  any  ill  news  in  regard  to 
him  might  need  to  be  broken  carefully  to  Minna. 

"  You  may  speak  plainly,"  I  said.     "  Is  he  dead?  " 

"  Yes,  he  is  dead.  When  he  ran  off  in  that  way,  and 
Signer  Praga  after  him,  the  shots  \ve  heard  were  fired 
at  the  count's  horse  by  his  pursuer.  His  object  was 
not  to  kill  the  man,  but  to  prevent  his  escape.  Both 


THE  HORSK  HAD  FALLEN'  ON  HIM  AND  ROLLED  OVER  HIM. 


"I   Am  Not  the  Prince*'  293 

shots  missed  their  aim,  however,  and  then  he  deter- 
mined to  ride  the  man  down.  On  the  brow  of  the  hill, 
where  you  saw  them  disappear,  comes  a  straight  bit  of 
road  for  a  couple  of  miles,  at  the  end  of  which  is  a 
steep,  dangerous  hill.  Both  men  rode  like  madmen 
across  the  level — Praga,  who  is  a  splendid  horseman, 
gaining  steadily  all  the  time.  Finding  that  he  was 
being  caught,  von  Nauheim  began  to  punish  his  horse 
mercilessly,  and  when  they  came  to  the  steep  descent 
the  poor  brute  seems  to  have  stretched  himself  for  a 
final  effort  to  answer  the  call  on  him.  For  a  moment 
he  raced  away  from  the  other,  but  when  about  half-way 
down  the  hill  he  collapsed  suddenly,  and  dropped  like 
a  stone,  So  frightful  was  the  speed  at  which  they  had 
been  going  that  horse  and  rider  rolled  over  and  over 
several  times  in  an  almost  indistinguishable  mass. 
Praga,  who  was  not  far  behind,  had  great  difficulty  in 
avoiding  them  and  in  checking  his  own  horse.  When 
he  went  back  to  von  Nauheim  he  found  him  dead. 
The  stirrups  had  prevented  him  from  getting  free  when 
the  smash  came,  and  the  horse  had  fallen  on  him  and 
rolled  over  him,  breaking  his  back  and  crushing  the  life 
out  of  him.  He  was  a  horrible  sight." 

"I  am  glad  Praga  didn't  kill  him,"  I  said.  "But  I 
can't  say  I  am  sorry  he  has  met  his  death.  He  de- 
served it." 

The  others  made  no  reply,  and  we  held  on  our  way 
without  speaking.  The  officer  rode  on  the  other  side 
of  Minna ;  and  the  silence  of  the  night  was  broken  only 
by  the  sound  of  the  horses'  hoofs,  the  major's  being 
restive,  and  breaking  now  and  then  into  an  amble. 

"  Do  you  know  much  of  Signor  Praga,  Prince?  "  asked 
the  major  after  a  long  silence. 

"  Not  enough  to  speak  of  him,"  I  replied  shortly ;  and 


294  A.  Dash   for  a  Throne 

the  effort  at  conversation  closed  as  abruptly  as  it  had 
begun. 

When  we  had  covered  a  couple  more  miles,  he  said 
he  would  ride  on  and  prepare  for  our  arrival,  and  I  was 
not  sorry  to  be  quit  of  him. 

"  It  is  a  terrible  end,"  said  Minna  thoughtfully,  refer- 
ring to  von  Nauheim. 

"A  more  merciful  one  than  he  deserved,"  said  I.  I 
could  find  no  pity  for  such  a  scoundrel.  "  He  has  been 
a  traitor  all  his  life." 

"  He  is  dead,"  said  the  girl  gently. 

"  But  he  lived  too  long.  Years  ago  I  would  have 
killed  him  had  he  not  run  from  me." 

"  You  knew  him  years  ago?  " 

"  And  never  knew  anything  but  ill  of  him.  It  was 
because  of  my  knowledge  of  him  that  I  stayed  on  at 
Gramberg.  That  is  part  of  the  story  I  have  yet  to  tell 
you." 

"  When?  "  she  asked  eagerly. 

"  To-morrow.  I  would  tell  it  you  now,  but  we  are 
close  to  the  house. " 

And  a  few  minutes  later  we  turned  in  at  the  lodge 
gates,  and  were  winding  our  way  through  the  high 
shrubs  which  lined  the  drive  for  more  than  half  the 
way  to  the  mansion. 

When  we  reached  the  house  an  old  motherly  woman 
came  forward  to  receive  Minna  and  take  her  to  her 
rooms. 

The  girl  stood  a  moment,  and  put  both  her  hands 
into  mine,  with  a  gesture  she  had  used  once  just  after 
my  arrival  at  Gramberg.  She  was  thinking  of  it,  too. 

"  Do  you  remember  my  telling  you  at  Gramberg  how 
I  trusted  you? "  she  asked,  leaving  her  hands  in  mine 
and  looking  into  my  eyes. 


"I   Am  Not  the  Prince"  295 

"I  could  never  forget  it,"  said  I,  speaking  low. 

"  My  instinct  was  very  true,  wasn't  it?  I  knew. 
And  after  to-night  I  trust  my  friend  more  than  I  even 
trusted  my  cousin.  Goodnight,  friend — and  cousin." 

"Good  night." 

A  slight  shade  passed  over  her  face  for  a  moment, 
though  a  great  light  was  shining  in  her  eyes,  and  she 
waited  as  it  I  should  say  more. 

"Good  night,  Minna,"  I  whispered. 

And  then  she  cast  her  eyes  down  and  blushed ;  and 
after  standing  thus  for  the  space  of  perhaps  five  sec- 
onds she  took  her  hands  gently  out  of  mine,  glanced 
once  rapidly  into  my  face,  smiled,  and  turned  to  the 
woman,  who  was  waiting  at  a  distance. 

"  Be  up  early,  cousin,"  I  called  to  her  in  a  tone  of  as- 
sumed indifference,  as  if  anything  about  her  could  be 
indifferent  to  me,  "  for  we  must  make  our  plans. " 

"  I  am  quite  as  anxious  as  you,"  she  replied;  but  the 
real  answer  was  with  her  eyes,  which  reflected  the 
thought  beneath  my  words — that  I  should  be  all  eager- 
ness till  the  time  came  for  us  to  meet  again. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

FLIGHT 

As  soon  as  Minna  had  left  me  the  major  brought  the 
officer  to  apologize  for  the  conduct  which  had  so  exas- 
perated me  on  my  arrival.  The  man  had  of  course  ex- 
ceeded his  instructions,  and  although  the  explanation 
did  not  by  any  means  make  amends  for  what  I  had  en- 
dured, it  was  tendered  in  good  faith,  and  I  accepted  it. 
I  was  in  no  mood  to  harbor  anger  against  any  one. 
What  I  most  wished  now  was  to  be  alone  to  recall  the 
scene  with  Minna  on  the  road,  the  ineffable  sweetness 
of  her  voice,  the  soft  tenderness  of  her  looks,  and  the 
magic  thrill  of  her  touch. 

When  the  major  asked  me  my  plans,  I  answered 
almost  at  random,  for  my  thoughts  were  away  back 
with  the  darkly  robed  figure  on  the  horse  looking  down 
on  me  with  a  light  in  the  eyes  which  it  filled  me  with 
sheer  ecstasy  to  believe  had  been  kindled  by  the  torch 
of  love. 

I  pleaded  that  I  was  vastly  fatigued,  and  then  went 
to  my  room,  to  lie  tossing  from  side  to  side  like  a  love- 
mad  loon,  grudging  even  the  hours  to  sleep  because  I 
should  not  be  able  to  think  of  Minna. 

I  was  in  truth  crazed  with  the  knowledge  that  she 
loved  me ;  and  when  I  awoke  in  the  morning — for  sleep 
conquered  my  silly  resistance — it  was  with  just  the 
same  fevered  longing  to  be  with  her. 

Yet  I  had  plenty  to  think  of  and  to  plan;  and  when 


Flight  297 

I  forced  myself  to  think  that  even  now,  though  things 
had  gone  so  well  thus  far,  there  was  much  to  do  before 
Minna's  safety  was  secured,  I  began  to  think  rationally 
and  connectedly. 

As  I  stepped  into  the  fresh  morning  air  I  found 
Praga  out  before  me,  pacing  up  and  down  in  heavy 
thought.  He  had  not  been  to  bed  at  all,  but  was  like 
iron,  and  seemed  as  fresh  as  the  morning  itself. 

"I  was  thinking  of  rousing  you,  Prince,"  he  said. 
"What  about  the  Duke  Marx?  That  best  of  good  fel- 
lows von  Krugen  may  be  getting  anxious." 

"  I  can  say  nothing  yet ;  but  I  think  my  purpose  is 
accomplished,  and  that  I  shall  send  you  to  him  with  an 
order  for  the  duke's  release." 

"  What ! "  he  cried  in  a  tone  of  astonishment. 
"Throw  it  all  up  when  you  have  the  game  in  your 
hands?  A  couple  of  days'  firmness  and  the  countess 
will  have  the  throne  as  surely  as  I  know  how  to  whip  a 
sword  from  its  scabbard.  You're  not  turning  chicken- 
hearted,  surely?" 

"You  do  not  understand  matters,"  I  said  shortly. 

"  Understand!  There's  not  much  wit  needed  to  un- 
derstand this  business.  I  know  enough  what  the  people 
think  and  want,  and  what  a  bold  coup  would  do  at  this 
crisis ;  and  if  ever  a  woman  had  a  crown  at  her  feet, 
and  for  the  mere  picking  up,  it's  the  countess." 

"  Maybe ;  but  matters  are  as  I  say.  I  will  give  you 
my  decision  later. " 

"  I  hope  you  won't  let  yourself  'ue  ruled  by  a  woman's 
tricky  fears.  There's  danger  that  way,  too.  Once 
give  these  Ostenburg  folk  the  power,  and  you  may 
whistle  for  your  chances  of  any  safety.  I  wouldn't 
trust  one  of  them.  What  will  you  do?  " 

"  I  have  not  decided,"  I  repeated;  and  it  was  evident 


298  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

that  my  apparent  vacillation  mortified  him.  But  the 
mood  passed  in  a  second,  as  did  most  moods  with  him, 
except  revenge,  and  he  laughed. 

"Well,  of  course,  it  must  be  as  you  please.  It  is 
your  game,  not  mine,"  and  he  waved  his  hand  as 
though  the  matter  were  settled.  Then  he  asked  with 
another  change  of  tone : 

"  And  about  the  burial  of  that  carrion  von  Nauheim?  " 

"  Where  is  the  body  lying? " 

"  In  the  shed  of  a  cottage  nearest  to  the  spot  where 
he  broke  his  miserable  neck." 

"  I  will  leave  directions  here  for  the  funeral.  There 
will  be  some  sort  of  inquiry,  and  you  may  have  to  be 
present  as  witness.  But  I  don't  suppose  any  of  those 
who  have  used  him  will  take  much  heed  of  his  death, 
and  probably  Major  Gessler  will  be  able  to  make  all 
arrangements." 

Later  on  I  discussed  this  with  him,  and  he  agreed  to 
see  that  everything  the  authorities  might  require  should 
be  done. 

"  If  you're  giving  up  things,  you'll  have  no  more 
need  of  me,  I  suppose? "  asked  the  Corsican  after  a 
pause. 

"You  put  it  bluntly,"  I  answered.  "I  hope,  of 
course,  that  all  these  complications  are  nearly  over,  but 
if  you  will  let  me  I  shall  wish  to  see  you  about  your 
future.  But  for  you  I  could  not  have  carried  this 
through,  and  I  shall  not  forget  that. " 

"  I  never  take  too  serious  thought  about  what  you  call 
my  future,  Prince.  If  I  killed  the  brother,  I've  helped 
to  save  the  sister,  and,  if  she  knows  it,  that's  enough 
for  me. "  He  said  this  with  as  much  earnestness  as  I 
had  ever  observed  in  him  save  in  his  moods  of  furious 
passion.  But  he  lapsed  into  his  more  customary  tern- 


Flight  299 

per  immediately  after,  and  added:  "  Besides,  I've  had 
my  revenge,  although  I'm  sorry  I  didn't  run  the  brute 
through  before  he  had  the  luck  to  break  his  neck.  To 
the  close  of  my  life  I  shall  regret  never  having  had  him 
to  play  with  at  the  end  of  my  sword. " 

At  that  moment  Major  Gessler  came  out  of  the  house 
looking  very  serious  and  called  me  aside. 

"  I  have  very  grave  news  from  Munich,  Prince,"  he 
said.  I  noticed  that  he  was  now  always  very  careful 
to  give  me  the  title  which  I  think  he  knew  did  not  be- 
long to  me.  "  Last  night  the  Kaiser's  confidential  ad- 
viser, von  Augener,  arrived  there  from  Berlin.  The 
news  ol  this  business  has  caused  a  big  stir  in  the  capi- 
tal, and  the  Emperor  himself  is  expected  at  Munich. 
The  Duke  Marx  should  be  there  without  an  hour's  un- 
necessary delay." 

"Had  you  held  the  Countess  Minna  safe  in  your 
charge  yesterday,  Major  Gessler,  he  might  have  been 
there  now.  It  is  not  I  who  am  responsible  for  the 
delay. " 

I  spoke  firmly,  for  I  resented  the  too  peremptory 
tone  he  adopted. 

"  What  are  your  plans,  then?  "  he  asked  next.  "  Will 
you  give  me  the  authority  for  his  release? " 

"  I  can  tell  you  better  an  hour  hence,  when  I  have 
seen  my  cousin." 

"  You  must  be  good  enough  to  give  me  some  definite 
news. to  send  to  Munich,  " 

"  You  can  send  them  the  reason  for  the  delay,"  I  re- 
torted hotly.  "  I  decline  your  dictation,  sir,  and  can 
dispense  witlryour  interference." 

He  was  about  to  reply  with  equal  warmth  when  Minna 
came  out  of  one  of  the  windows. 

"Good  morning,    gentlemen,"    she    said    brightly. 


300  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"Good  morning,  cousin  Hans,"  and,  her  face  radiant 
with  smiles,  she  came  to  me  holding  out  her  hands. 

All  my  anger  fled  at  the  sight  of  her,  and  when  I 
held  her  hands  in  mine  and  read  in  her  eyes  the  answer- 
ing emotions  to  those  which  were  rushing  out  through 
mine  I  had  no  thoughts  save  of  peace,  gladness,  good- 
will, and  love. 

"We  must  speak  together  at  once,"  I  said.  "Shall 
we  walk  in  the  gardens  here?  " 

I  led  her  to  a  large,  wide  lawn,  through  the  centre  of 
which  ran  a  broad  path.  It  was  a  spot  where  we  could 
not  well  be  overheard. 

"  I  passed  the  night  in  wondering  what  I  was  to  hear 
this  morning,"  she  said.  "I  think  it  must  be  good 
news,  for  I  was  so  happy. " 

"  You  have  not  slept,  then? " 

"  Oh,  yes.  But  while  I  slept  I  dreamt,  and  now 
and  then  had  spells  of  delicious  wakefulness.  I  don't 
know  which  was  the  better — the  dreams  that  all 
was  right,  or  the  waking  beliefs  that  all  would  soon 
be." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be,"  I  declared  earnestly. 

"  Nay,  I  am  sure  it  all  will,"  she  declared,  as  if  in  re- 
buke of  my  doubt.  "  Isn't  this  a  lovely  old  garden?" 
she  cried.  "  Not  so  good  as  Gramberg,  of  course,  be- 
cause no  place  could  be  so  dear  to  me  as  that.  But  yet 
lovely.  And  what  flowers!  Did  you  ever  see  such 
magnificence?  And  the  perfumes!  They  seem  to  dis- 
til the  very  essence  of  peace.  And  what  a  change  from 
yesterday.  It  was  a  prison  then — to-day  a  veritable 
palace  of  delight.  Heigho !  And  you  have  changed  it 
for  me !  And  now  for  this  news.  You  know  where 
you  left  off?  I  do.  I  think  I  could  repeat  every  word 
you  said.  You  are  going  to  tell  me  who  you  were  be- 


Flight  30 1 

fore  you  became  Heinrich  Fischer,  the  actor  at  Frank- 
fort." 

"  I  was  a  nameless  wanderer,  and  went  there  almost 
direct  from  my  death  and  burial." 

She  stood  still  in  the  path  and  looked  at  me  in  blank 
surprise ;  her  face  wrinkled  in  perplexity  that  was  only 
half  earnest ;  and,  despite  the  serious  nature  of  things, 
her  mood  partially  infected  me. 

"Your  death?"  she  said  in  wonderment. 

"  It  is  all  true.  Did  you  ever  hear  your  brother  speak 
of  a  young  Count  von  Rudloff ,  in  the  navy,  who  was  at 
one  time  a  friend  of  the  Royal  Family,  and  whose  death 
at  Berlin  about  five  years  ago  aroused  some  comment? 
It  happened  almost  immediately  after  the  Prince,  now 
his  Majesty  the  Emperor,  had  met  with  an  accident  on 
board  the  Imperial  yacht." 

"  The  Count  von  Rudloff?  "  she  repeated  thoughtfully, 
saying  the  name  over  once  or  twice  as  though  some  old 
memories  were  partly  stirred  by  it.  "  I  think  I  did — 
but  what  is  thr.t  to  us?  " 

"  To  me  much — everything,  indeed.  I  am  the  Count 
von  Rudloff,"  and  then  I  told  her  unreservedly  the 
whole  of  my  strange  story. 

Her  first  comment  surprised  me. 

"  Is  this  the  story  you  thought  would  part  us? "  she 
asked. 

"  I  had  misled  you. " 

"Yes,  and  for  a  base  and  cruel  purpose — to  help 
me  out  of  my  trouble, "  and  she  raised  her  eyebrows 
as  she  smiled.  "You  must  judge  me  curiously  if 
you  think  I  should  consider  that  a  cause  for  sacri- 
ficing the  truest  friend  a  helpless  girl  could  have. 
I  believe  I  could  almost  be  angry  with  you  for  that 
judgment." 


302  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  But  my  helping  you  was,  after  all,  only  for  a  selfish 
purpose,"  I  said  after  a  pause. 

"  What  was  that? "  she  asked  quickly,  all  unsuspect- 
ing. 

"  I  loved  you,  Minna." 

We  were  near  the  end  of  the  gravel  walk  and,  in- 
stead of  turning  as  we  had  done  before,  I  walked 
on  past  some  large  laurels  which  hid  us  from  the 
house. 

I  stopped  there  and  took  her  hand,  which  she  left 
freely  in  mine. 

"I  have  told  you  all  now,"  I  whispered.  "Your 
answer? " 

"  This  is  the  happiest  day  of  my  life,"  she  murmured. 

I  put  my  arm  round  her  and  held  her  to  my  heart. 

"  You  love  me,  then? " 

Her  face  was  close  to  me,  she  was  smiling  trustfully 
and  lovingly,  and  the  answer  came  in  the  pressure  of 
her  lips  to  mine  as  our  hearts  met  in  pledge  of  our  be- 
trothal. After  that  we  stood  together  there,  just  a  pair 
of  happy  lovers,  for  whom  the  sun  was  made  to  shine 
and  the  earth  to  be  beautiful,  and  forgetting  all  else 
save  the  one  immeasurable  fact  of  our  avowed  love. 
A  commotion  somewhere  near  the  house  recalled  us  to 
ourselves  as  the  sounds  floated  across  to  our  ears. 
They  broke  in  upon  our  love  ecstasy,  and  with  a  sigh 
Minna  unwound  her  arms  from  my  neck,  and  we  stood 
hand  in  hand  a  minute. 

"  Better  than  friendship  or  cousinship,  Minna? "  I 
asked. 

The  glad  glow  on  her  cheeks  and  in  her  eyes  answered 
me,  and  I  kissed  her  again. 

"  And  now  we  must  be  common-sense  folk,  for  we 
have  to  decide  what  course  to  take. " 


Flight  303 

"  I  can  make  no  decision — except  that  you  must  not 
leave  me,"  she  said. 

"  Yet  we  are  forgetting  you  are  the  Queen. " 

"  Do  you  remember  what  I  once  told  you  would  be 
my  first  command? " 

"  Your  Majesty  has  been  anticipated.  I  have  told 
you  all — and  the  assembly  was  certainly  a  very  Privy 
Council." 

"  Yes.  Just  Queen — and "  she  paused,  and  then, 

hiding  her  face  on  my  shoulder,  added  softly,  "and 
King.  I  want  no  other  throne  than  this." 

It  was  very  sweet  fooling,  though  not  very  witty,  and 
I  would  have  been  glad  enough  to  continue  it  if  I  had 
not  seen  through  the  little  gaps  in  the  bushes  that  a 
number  of  people  had  come  out  of  the  house  and  were 
walking  in  different  directions  through  the  grounds. 
Some  were  coming  our  way. 

"  Let  us  walk  on  here,  dearest, "  I  whispered.  "  There 
are  men  coming  from  the  house  in  search  of  me,  I  think. 
And  remember  I  must  still  be  for  the  present  the 
Prince,  and  you  my  cousin." 

We  moved  away  then  and  walked  as  if  in  consulta- 
tion, and  I  told  her  what  I  thought  we  had  best  do. 

"  I  do  not  know  how  matters  will  go  at  Munich,"  I 
said ;  "  but  I  hear  this  morning  that  the  Kaiser  himself 
will  see  what  the  trouble  is,  and  that  already  old  von 
Augener — the  '  Kaiser's  own  man,'  as  they  call  him — 
is  there  making  inquiries." 

"  He  is  the  awful  man  who  came  to  you  years  ago, 
isn't  he? "  cried  Minna,  with  fear  speaking  from  her 
eyes  at  the  mere  thought  of  danger  to  me. 

"Yes — but  there  is  no  reason  to  fear  that  he  will 
recognize  me.  I  am  so  completely  changed.  The 
more  serious  consideration  is  what  view  he  will  take  of 


3°4 


A  Dash  for  a  Throne 


your  supposed  part  in  the  disturbance,  and  of  my  hav- 
ing kidnapped  the  Duke  Marx  on  your  behalf.  I  told 
Baron  Heckscher  that  you  were  only  too  anxious  to  re- 
sign all  claim  to  the  throne,  and  that  I  would  use  my 
influence  with  you — it  was  not  so  great  then  as  now,"  I 
broke  off  to  say. 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  should  always  have  done  whatever  you 
wished,"  replied  Minna.  "It  never  occurred  to  me  to 
do  anything  else." 

"  Well,  I  told  him  I  thought  you  would  remain  in  hid- 
ing long  enough  for  him  to  settle  matters  in  the  Osten- 
burg  interest.  And  this  coming  of  von  Augener  makes 
me  more  inclined  than  ever  to  advise  you  to  put  the 
frontier  between  yourself  and  these  plotters." 

"When  shall  we  start? "  she  asked  instantly. 

"And  then  I  can  watch  your  interests  at  Munich." 

"  You  do  not  wish  me  to  go  alone? " 

"  Not  to  go  alone.  But  unless  you  know  of  some  bet- 
ter place  you  might  well  go  to  Charmes  to  your  real 
cousin ;  and  you  could  stay  there  until  these  troubles 
have  blown  over." 

"And  you?" 

"  I  shall  of  course  go  with  you  to  Charmes,  and  then 
return  with  all  speed  to  Munich  to  watch  matters  there. " 

"Why  should  you  go  back  to  face  the  risks  there 
alone? " 

"  I  can  do  more  good  for  you  as  well  as  for  myself  if 
I  know  you  are  in  a  place  of  safety." 

"  We  can  talk  of  that  on  the  way ;  but  what  should  I 
do  now  if  anything  happened  to  you? "  she  cried  in  dis- 
tress. 

I  loved  her  for  the  words,  but  could  not  thank  her  as 
I  would,  for  at  that  moment  one  of  the  men  caught 
sight  of  us  and  came  hastily  toward  me. 


Flight  305 

"  Major  Gessler  is  very  desirous  of  seeing  your  High- 
ness at  once,"  he  said. 

"  I  will  come  to  the  house,"  I  said,  and  with  that  we 
turned,  the  man  hastening  on  to  give  my  message. 

"I  am  sorry  to  have  to  press  you,  Prince,"  said  the 
major,  coming  to  meet  me ;  "  but  I  am  most  anxious  to 
send  tidings  to  Munich.  Have  you  made  your  decision? 
It  is  nearly  three  hours  since  I  spoke  to  you." 

I  saw  Minna  start  with  surprise  at  this  mention  of 
the  time  we  had  been  together. 

"  It  has  been  a  complicated  problem  to  discuss,  ma- 
jor," I  answered  gravely.  "  But  we  have  decided  it  at 
last.  The  countess  will  leave  by  the  first  train  from 
Landsberg,  and  I  shall  accompany  her.  At  the  station 
I  will  hand  the  authority  you  need  to  you  and  Signer 
Praga. " 

"  And  your  destination?  "  he  asked. 

"  Is  our  own  affair,  sir,"  I  returned  stiffly. 

"  I  merely  asked  so  that  I  should  know  when  to  meet 
you  at  the  station ; "  and  he  turned  on  his  heel  and  left 
us  abruptly. 

"I  can  be  ready  directly,"  said  Minna,  and  she  ran 
into  the  house. 

A  few  minutes  later  she  returned,  and  we  had  break- 
fast together,  in  the  middle  of  which  a  messenger  from 
Major  Gessler  brought  me  a  list  of  the  chief  trains  in 
each  direction.  I  chose  the  first  that  started  westward ; 
and  we  set  out  soon  afterward  for  the  station. 

There  Praga  was  waiting,  and  I  gave  him  the  author- 
ity which  I  had  written  out  to  von  Krugen  to  release 
the  Duke  Marx,  and  added  in  a  tone  loud  enough  for 
the  major  to  hear : 

"  I  shall  be  in  Munich  to-night  or  to-morrow.  You 
can  see  me  there." 


306  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

A  minute  later  the  train  started. 

"  Now  for  freedom,  Minna.  A  few  hours  more  and 
we  shall  be  across  the  French  frontier !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Did  you  hear  Major  Gessler  say  that  we  had  been 
three  hours  in  the  garden  this  morning,  Karl? "  asked 
Minna,  blushing  and  smiling.  "  Can  it  really  have  been 
so  long? " 

"  The  time  did  not  fly  on  the  same  wings  for  him  as 
for  us, "  I  answered ;  "  and  if  the  next  half-dozen  or  so 
will  only  speed  at  the  same  pace,  I  shall  breathe  all  the 
more  freely." 

"And  will  they,  do  you  think?"  she  asked  demurely 
as  she  crossed  from  her  seat  to  that  next  mine. 

They  did,  although  I  had  many  moments  of  anxiety. 

The  journey  itself  was  as  uneventful  for  some  hours 
as  a  tourist's  trip.  We  had  the  compartment  to  our- 
selves for  the  greater  part  of  the  time,  though  occasion- 
ally an  unwelcome  passenger  came  in  for  a  few  miles, 
and  so  broke  the  thread  of  our  long,  delicious  talk.  But 
my  anxiety  began  to  increase  when,  as  the  hot  after- 
noon passed  and  the  cool  evening  air  refreshed  us,  we 
began  to  approach  the  frontier.  I  could  not  put  my 
fears  into  words,  nor  could  I  see  any  probable  reason 
to  fear  interruption.  But  whenever  we  stopped  I 
looked  out  with  an  ever-increasing  apprehension  I 
could  not  entirely  allay,  and  scanned  curiously  the  peo- 
ple standing  about  on  the  platforms. 

As  we  ran  into  the  frontier  station  this  feeling  quick- 
ened up  into  excitement.  A  few  minutes  would  see 
Minna  safe,  if  only  there  were  no  interruption. 

The  officials  came  to  examine  tickets,  then  others  to 
see  the  baggage,  and  still  all  was  going  well.  We  had 
no  baggage,  of  course,  and  sat  watching  the  different 
effects  which  that  most  irritating  process  of  ex- 


Flight  307 

animation  produced  upon  the  tempers  of  our  fellow- 
travellers. 

As  the  time  slipped  away  I  fast  grew  easier  in  mind, 
and  I  joined  with  Minna  in  laughing  at  one  or  two 
comical  incidents.  But  my  laughter  died  away  as  I 
saw  a  couple  of  officials  walking  slowly  along  the  train, 
scrutinizing  closely  all  who  were  in  the  carriages. 

On  catching  sight  of  me  one  of  the  men  started,  and 
drew  the  attention  of  a  companion,  who  looked  quickly 
in  my  direction,  and  then  referred  to  some  papers. 
The  papers  seemed  to  satisfy  him,  for  he  called  up  a 
couple  of  men,  and  all  four  came  to  our  carriage. 

"  Something  is  wrong,"  I  whispered  to  Minna.  "  Be 
on  your  guard." 

"Pardon  me,  sir,"  said  the  man,  bowing,  "but  I 
think  you  are  the  Prince  von  Gramberg,  and  this  lady 
is  the  Countess  Minna  von  Gramberg?  " 

"  Yes.     What  do  you  want?  "  I  replied. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  incommode  your  Highness,  but  may 
I  ask  you  to  alight  for  a  moment? " 

"  How  much  time  is  there  before  the  train  starts? "  I 
asked  sharply. 

"  There  will  be  plenty  of  time.  Will  you  come  to  the 
waiting-room,  and  you,  madam,  as  well,  if  you  please? " 

"No,  I  will  not,"  I  answered  firmly.  "If  you  have 
anything  to  say  to  me,  say  it  here.  What  is  it?  " 

"  I  regret  that  my  instructions  are  to  detain  your 
Highness." 

"  Let  me  see  your  instructions." 

"  Pardon  me,  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  show  them.  But 
I  trust  you  will  make  this  repugnant  duty  as  little  un- 
pleasant as  possible.  It  is  inevitable,"  and  a  glance  at 
the  men  around  him  emphasized  his  meaning. 

"  Where  are  your  instructions  from?    At  whose  insti- 


308  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

gation  is  this  unwarrantable  liberty  taken  with  us? "  I 
asked,  with  as  grand  an  air  as  I  could  assume. 

"  I  can  say  no  more  now  than  that  you  must  really  do 
what  I  wish.  You  will  surely  see  the  uselessness  of 
resistance. " 

His  tone  changed  slightly,  and  he  showed  a  little 
more  authority. 

Minna  had  turned  very  pale,  and  sat  trembling. 

"We  had  better  go,"  she  said  in  reply  to  a  glance 
from  me. 

"I  comply — under  protest,  mind,"  I  said  to  the  offi- 
cial. "I  shall  hold  you  responsible  for  this  outrage." 

He  spread  out  his  hands  and  shrugged  his  shoulders 
by  way  of  reply ;  and,  when  we  left  the  carriage,  he 
and  his  men  walked  on  each  side  of  us  to  the  waiting- 
room.  He  came  in  alone  with  us,  signing  to  the  others 
to  stay  outside,  and  he  gave  utterance  to  the  most  vol- 
uble apologies  for  his  unpleasant  duty. 

At  that  moment  the  whistle  sounded,  and  the  train 
started. 

"  You  said  there  was  plenty  of  time  for  this  to  be  ex- 
plained before  the  train  went,"  I  cried  angrily. 

"  Before  your  train,  your  Highness ;  and,  besides,  I 
wished  to  avoid  any  scene.  But  I  am  pained  to  say  you 
must  consider  yourselves  under  arrest,  and  must  be 
prepared  to  return  to  Munich  by  the  first  available 
train. " 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

AN    OLD    ENEMY 

I  SAW  at  once  it  would  be  hopeless  to  attempt  any  re- 
sistance to  this  new  development.  My  first  feeling  was 
one  of  bitter  chagrin  and  exasperation,  mingled  with 
genuine  alarm  for  the  consequences  to  Minna.  Who 
had  dealt  the  blow,  and  for  what  object?  I  knew  that 
I  had  rendered  myself  liable  to  arrest  and  prosecution 
for  my  impersonation  of  the  Prince  von  Gramberg, 
although,  despite  what  Baron  Heckscher  had  said,  I 
could  not  understand  who  would  attempt  to  set  the  law 
in  motion. 

But  with  Minna  it  was  very  different.  It  was  certain 
that  the  conspiracy  with  which  she  had  nominally  been 
concerned  might  carry  very  ugly  consequences ;  but,  at 
the  worst,  any  such  act  would  constitute  only  a  political 
offence  against  the  Bavarian  laws,  and  I  did  not  think 
that  outside  Bavaria  she  could  be  touched.  But  we 
had  long  passed  that  frontier  safely.  Whose  hand, 
then,  was  this? 

I  recalled,  with  something  of  a  shudder,  the  news 
which  Major  Gessler  had  told  me,  to  the  effect  that  von 
Augener  had  gone  to  Munich,  and  I  saw  that,  if  our 
arrest  was  made  at  his  instigation,  the  results  might  be 
even  more  serious  than  I  had  anticipated. 

"  I  have  no  intention  to  offer  resistance  to  this  step," 
I  said  after  a  pause  of  thought ;  "  but,  of  course,  you 
must  satisfy  me  of  your  authority  for  it." 


310  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  I  am  the  chief  of  the  police  here,"  replied  the  offi- 
cial, "  and  hold  full  instructions — very  full  instructions 
indeed,  and  very  urgent  ones.  The  case  is  a  very  ex- 
ceptional one." 

"  But  surely  you  can  tell  me  the  nature  of  the  charge 
for  which  you  say  I  am  to  consider  myself  under 
arrest? " 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances  I  could  and  should, 
of  course,  do  so ;  but  not  in  this.  I  trust  you  will  un- 
derstand my  position. " 

"  You  have  performed  an  unpleasant  task  very  tact- 
fully. But  can  you  tell  me  no  more  than  you  have — if 
not  officially,  then  as  a  matter  of  courtesy?  " 

"  We  are  not  allowed  much  latitude  for  courtesy,  I 
fear,  your  Highness ;  but  I  may  tell  you  privately  that 
I  have  not  been  informed  of  any  charge  against  you. 
My  instructions  are  merely  to  prevent  your  crossing 
the  frontier  should  you  attempt  to  do  so,  and  to  see  that 
you  return  to  Munich;  and  these  instructions,  which 
came  first  from  Munich,  have  been  repeated  as  urgent 
from  Berlin." 

"  I  need  no  more  than  that,  and  will  not  mention  that 
you  told  me.  We  will  return  to  Munich,  Minna,"  I 
said,  turning  to  her. 

There  was  an  hour  to  wait  for  the  train,  the  man  told 
me,  and  we  filled  up  the  time  by  getting  some  supper. 
It  was  a  doleful  enough  meal.  The  police  official  did 
his  best  to  make  the  fact  that  we  were  under  arrest  as 
little  obvious  as  possible;  but  it  was  plain  to  me  that 
we  were  kept  under  the  strictest  surveillance. 

"  What  do  you  think  it  means? "  asked  Minna. 

"  It  can  scarcely  be  anything  very  serious,  I  think. 
Probably  it  is  the  outcome  of  old  von  Augener's  pres- 
ence at  Munich,  and  maybe  half  an  hour's  conversation 


An   Old  Enemy  311 

with  him  will  be  enough  to  put  things  right  again.  I 
had  intended  to  see  him  in  any  event. " 

I  spoke  much  more  lightly  of  the  matter  than  I 
thought,  in  order  to  reassure  her,  and  I  was  pleased  to 
see  my  words  had  the  effect  I  desired. 

When  the  train  came  in,  the  police  official  showed  us 
to  a  carriage,  and,  with  another  apology  for  his  intru- 
sion, entered  it  after  us.  I  made  no  demur,  because  I 
knew  it  would  be  superfluous.  We  must  make  the  best 
of  a  bad  job,  and  consequently  I  settled  Minna  com- 
fortably in  a  corner  of  the  carriage  so  that  she  might 
sleep  through  the  night.  I  took  my  seat  opposite  to 
her,  and  during  the  whole  of  the  long,  wearisome  jour- 
ney I  sat  rapt  in  thought,  speculating  upon  the  pos- 
sible reasons  for  the  arrest  and  trying  to  see  the  best 
course  to  be  taken  in  her  interest. 

I  was  now  disposed  to  blame  myself  bitterly,  since 
matters  had  come  to  this  pass,  for  not  having,  in  the 
first  instance,  abstained  from  meddling  with  the  plot 
against  the  mad  King.  I  had  pitted  my  wits  against 
the  men  in  the  Ostenburg  interest,  and  had  allowed 
Minna  to  appear  to  be  implicated  in  everything  that 
was  done,  trusting  to  my  own  ingenuity  to  beat  them 
at  their  own  game.  I  had  done  it  successfully  to  a 
point ;  but  now  I  could  see  how,  like  a  fool,  I  had  mis- 
calculated the  real  effect  of  this  intervention  from  Im- 
perial headquarters. 

The  flaw  in  the  present  situation  was  one  I  could  see 
easily  enough  now.  I  had  neglected  to  provide  any- 
thing like  sufficient  proof  of  Minna's  innocence,  her 
dislike  of  the  scheme,  and  her  disinclination  even  to 
think  of  accepting  the  throne.  I  could  see  now  clearly 
what  I  ought  to  have  seen  at  the  start — that  if  Minna 
had  actually  left  the  country  at  the  moment  following 


312  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

her  father's  death,  and  had  openly  relinquished  all 
claim  to  the  throne,  she  would  have  had  an  absolutely 
clean  case  so  far  as  Berlin  was  concerned,  and,  if  neces- 
sary, could  have  appealed  there  for  protection  against 
any  efforts  of  the  Ostenburgs  to  harm  her. 

The  danger  to  her  from  the  Ostenburgs,  which  had 
then  loomed  so  large  in  my  thought,  was  dwarfed  now 
by  this  greater  and  actual  danger  from  Berlin.  How, 
then,  was  I  to  repair  the  blunder  I  had  made? 

There  was  one  possible  chance — forlorn  so  far  as 
Minna  was  concerned,  and  almost  desperate  for  myself. 
But  the  pith  of  everything  would  be  now  that  I  should 
be  able  to  prove  beyond  question  and  suspicion  the 
absolute  sincerity  of  my  motives,  and  be  able  to  thor- 
oughly convince  the  Emperor  and  his  advisers  that  my 
version  of  the  facts  was  the  correct  one.  Everything 
might  turn  upon  this. 

As  an  adventurer  who  had  been  known  first  as  Hein- 
rich  Fischer,  an  actor,  next  as  Henry  Fisher,  an  Eng- 
lishman, and  afterward  as  Hans  von  Fromberg,  only 
to  change  once  more  into  the  Prince  von  Gramberg,  I 
could  not  hope  to  be  believed.  Even  this  very  at- 
tempt to  get  Minna  out  of  the  country  would  be  charged 
against  me  as  a  crowning  offence ;  while  I  might  rely 
upon  it  that  every  word  and  act  I  had  spoken  and  done 
in  the  character  of  the  Prince  would  be  construed  in 
the  worst  light  by  my  enemies. 

But  what  if  I  declared  myself  in  my  true  character? 

The  question  stirred  a  host  of  old  memories  and  asso- 
ciations which  came  crowding  thick  and  fast  upon  me 
with  conflicting  force  and  perplexing  contradictions. 
I  lived  again  in  thought  the  crowded  week  of  my  life 
that  came  between  the  scene  on  the  yacht  and  my  sup- 
posed death.  I  could  not  tell  how  far  that  act  of  expia- 


An  Old  *Enemy  313 

tion  on  my  part  had  changed  the  royal  feeling  toward 
me ;  nor  on  the  other  hand  could  I  gauge  what  effect 
would  be  produced  by  the  avowal  that  I  cheated  every 
one  by  the  farce  of  my  supposed  death. 

There  was  one  thing  on  which  I  thought  I  could 
rely,  however. 

There  had  been  many  acts  of  close  friendship  between 
the  Prince  and  myself,  and  on  one  occasion  I  had  ren- 
dered him  a  service  which  he  declared  at  the  time  would 
make  Iiim  ready  to  grant  me  any  favor  I  should  ever 
ask.  I  had  none  too  high  an  opinion  of  the  gratitude 
of  princes,  and  had  never  urged  any  request ;  while  it 
was  more  than  likely  he  would  consider  what  had  hap- 
pened since  had  completely  cancelled  any  obligation. 
But  I  was  prepared  to  risk  any  and  every  thing  now, 
and  to  exhaust  every  possible  resource  to  help  Minna 
at  this  juncture. 

I  had  never  had  such  a  motive  to  spur  my  energies, 
and  I  ransacked  my  memory  for  incidents  which  I 
thought  might  be  turned  to  help  my  purpose. 

I  was  in  this  frame  of  mind  when  we  arrived  at 
Munich ;  but  I  had  not  got  much  farther  in  my  plans 
than  a  resolve  to  use  every  means  that  might  offer,  re- 
gardless of  any  effect  upon  myself. 

Minna  awoke,  chilled  and  cramped  by  the  long  jour- 
ney, and  the  cold  gray  light  of  the  morning  depressed 
her  spirits.  She  looked  pale  and  frightened  as  the 
train  entered  the  station,  and  we  peered  out  curiously 
to  see  what  reception  awaited  us. 

"  Keep  a  brave  heart,  Minna,"  I  whispered. 

And  she  smiled  a  rather  wan,  weary  smile  in  reply. 

"  Where  are  we  to  go?  "  I  asked  the  police  official. 

"  I  expect  to  find  instructions  here,"  he  answered. 

Then  Minna  gave  a  little  start  and  cry  of  surprise. 


314  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"There  is  aunt  Gratz,"  she  said.  "What  can  that 
mean?" 

I  could  make  no  suggestion ;  but  the  reason  of  her 
presence  was  soon  clear  enough. 

As  we  alighted  she  came  forward. 

"  I  should  think  you  are  ashamed  of  yourself,  Minna," 
was  her  greeting.  "  If  net,  I  am  ashamed  of  you. 
Thank  God,  we  have  saved  you,  though  only  on  the 
very  brink,  it  seems. " 

"There  is  no  need  for  you  to  say  that  to  me,"  re- 
turned Minna  warmly. 

"  There  is  very  great  need,  indeed.  You  have  been 
the  victim  of  this  man's  villany. " 

"There  has  been  no  villany — except,  perhaps,  that 
which  you  and  the  Count  von  Nauheim  attempted  yes- 
terday, and  cousin  Hans  succeeded  in  foiling." 

"Cousin  Hans,  indeed.  Poor  child;  it's  only  your 
own  obstinacy  which  prevents  your  seeing  that  this 
man  is  a  wicked  impostor  who  has ' 

"  Pardon  me,  baroness "  I  began,  when  she  turned 

on  me. 

"  I  will  not  pardon  you  nor  allow  you  to  speak  to  me 
or  to  the  poor  girl  whom  you  have  so  shamefully 
deceived.  But  you  are  unmasked  at  last,  and  will  be 
punished  as  you  deserve.  Come,  Minna.  You  are  to 
come  with  me. " 

At  that  moment  the  police  official  who  had  travelled 
with  us  came  forward  with  another  man,  who  said : 

"  The  countess  is  to  go  to  her  own  house  here  with 
this  lady ;  and  you  are  to  accompany  me,  if  you  please. " 

"As  you  will,"  I  answered. 

At  that  the  tears  forced  themselves  into  Minna's 
eyes,  and  she  came  very  close  to  me  and  gave  me  her 
hand. 


An  Old  Enemy  315 

"  We  shall  meet  again  soon.  I  am  sure  of  that, 
Meanwhile  " — and  she  raised  her  head  proudly  as  she 
looked  round  at  the  others  present,  and  said :  "  I  wish 
all  to  know  that  I  am  your  promised  wife.  You  have 
saved  my  life,  and  more  than  my  life ;  and  I  can  never 
sufficiently  repay  you  for  all  you  have  done.  When 
every  one  else  was  treacherous,  you  were  stanch  and 
brave  on  my  behalf.  Let  them  say  what  they  will,  I 
know  the  truth,  and  nothing-  shall  ever  make  me  doubt 
you. " 

I  had  no  words  ready  for  a  reply,  but  I  raised  her 
hand  to  my  lips;  and,  with  a  lingering  look  into  my 
eyes,  she  went  away,  her  face  aflame  with  her  gallant 
little  act  of  loyalty  to  me. 

Then  I  turned  to  the  man  who  had  spoken  to  me. 

"And  what  is  the  charge  against  me? "  I  asked. 

"You  will  learn  it  to-day,"  he  said,  with  courteous 
curtness.  "  Be  good  enough  to  come  with  me. " 

We  entered  a  carriage  that  was  waiting,  and  drove  to 
the  police  bureau,  the  official  stolidly  declining  to  ex- 
change a  single  word  on  the  way.  There  they  gave  me 
breakfastj  and  afterward  I  was  left  by  myself  for  some 
two  or  three  hours.  At  the  end  of  that  time  the  same 
man  entered  the  room — for  I  had  not  been  put  to  the 
indignity  of  having  to  enter  a  police  cell — and  requested 
me  to  accompany  him,  though  again  he  would  not  say 
where  we  were  to  go. 

I  was  not  much  surprised,  however,  when  I  found 
the  carriage  approaching  the  palace,  for  I  had  detected 
old  von  Augener's  hand  in  the  matter.  He  delighted 
in  secrecy  and  surprises.  I  was  led  through  several 
corridors  into  an  ante-room,  where  I  waited  some  time 
until  the  door  of  an  inner  room  was  opened  and  I  was 
told  to  enter. 


316  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

I  went  forward,  and,  as  I  had  anticipated,  the  first 
object  which  my  eyes  encountered  in  the  room  was  the 
hard,  stern  face  of  von  Augener,  whose  sharp,  piercing 
eyes  looked  at  me,  curiously  and  menacingly,  from  un- 
der the  heavy  brows  I  knew  well  enough. 

He  let  me  stand  before  his  table  for  some  minutes 
without  a  word,  and  after  his  first  glance  at  me  pre- 
tended to  be  writing.  He  finished  this,  and  then  took 
up  a  bundle  of  papers,  which  he  turned  over  leisurely. 
I  guessed  that  his  motive  was  to  make  me  understand 
by  this  brusk  treatment  the  change  in  my  position. 
But  I  let  him  understand  quietly  that  it  had  no  such 
effect  on  me  as  he  wished.  I  carried  a  chair  close  to  the 
side  of  his  table  and  sat  down,  saying  lightly,  as  I 
crossed  my  legs : 

"  I've  had  rather  a  long  journey,  so  you'll  excuse  me 
if  I  sit  down  until  you  are  ready  to  commence  our  con- 
versation." 

At  the  sound  of  my  voice  I  saw  him  start,  bend  a 
sharp,  keen  look  on  me,  and  then  appear  to  dive  into  his 
capacious  memory  for  the  connection  which  it  stirred. 
Then  he  said  as  sternly  and  harshly  as  he  could  : 

"This  is  no  drawing-room  audience.  I  don't  allow 
prisoners  to  sit  in  my  presence.  Be  so  good  as  to  stand 
up,"  and  he  motioned  with  his  hand. 

"  Thank  you,  but  I  deny  your  right  to  address  me  in 
that  tone.  I  am  no  prisoner,  and  this  is  no  court. 
While  I  am  here  I  demand  to  be  treated  with  common 
courtesy. " 

"  I  will  send  you  to  a  police  cell  to  learn  manners," 
he  cried. 

"  As  you  please.  I  would  rather  sit  in  a  jail  than 
stand  to  be  hectored  by  you,"  and  I  smiled  and  shrugged 
my  shoulders. 


An  Old  Enemy  317 

Like  my  voice,  the  smile  appeared  to  set  his  wits 
gleaning  for  the  facts  that  would  piece  together  the 
puzzle  my  voice  and  gesture  had  set  him. 

For  a  moment  he  seemed  as  if  he  would  carry  out  his 
threat ;  but  I  judged  he  would  be  much  more  eager  to 
learn  what  I  knew  of  the  conspiracy  than  to  stickle 
over  the  question  whether  I  sat  or  stood  in  his  presence. 
And  so  it  proved. 

"  You  still  dare  to  carry  things  with  a  high  hand,  even 
with  me?" 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  am  here  for  the  express  purpose 
of  discussing  the  whole  of  this  affair  with  you  in  its 
new  light.  But  I  tell  you  at  the  outset  that  if  you 
think  to  frighten  me  with  threats  or  to  treat  me 
as  what  you  call  a  prisoner,  with  the  meaning  your 
accent  gives  to  the  term,  you  will  get  nothing  from 
the  interview." 

"We  shall  see,"  he  said  grimly;  but  he  said  no  more 
about  my  standing  up. 

A  long  pause  followed,  in  which  I  saw  him  look  sev- 
eral times  at  me  with  obvious  doubt  and  interest;  and 
I  knew  by  these  glances  that  he  was  trying  hard  to 
place  me  in  his  memory  and  failing. 

"  Now,  sir,"  he  said  at  length  in  a  quick,  sharp  tone. 
"Who  are  you?" 

"  At  present  I  am  generally  known  as  the  Prince  von 
Gramberg — but  that  is  not  my  real  name." 

"A  needless  addition.  What  is  your  real  name? 
Who  were  you  before  you  were  known  as  Heinrich 
Fischer,  the  actor  at  Frankfort?  I  warn  you  to  speak 
freely.  Your  only  hope  lies  in  that." 

"  For  the  present  I  prefer  not  to  tell  you,"  I  answered 
very  quietly.  "  It  does  not  concern  this  matter — in  its 
present  stage,  that  is." 


318  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  You  refuse  to  tell  me? " 

"  If  you  put  it  so,  I  refuse  to  tell  you. " 

"  What  was  your  object  in  usurping  the  character  of 
the  Prince  von  Gramberg? " 

"  I  was  forced  by  a  series  of  blunders  on  the  part  of 
others  to  take  the  position ;  it  was  done  by  the  desire  of 
the  real  heir  of  the  Prince,  Hans  von  Fromberg,  who 
is  now  known  as  Henri  Frombe ;  and  I  kept  up  the  part 
in  order  to  protect  the  Countess  Minna  from  a  foul  con- 
spiracy against  her,  in  which  a  scoundrel  who  is  now 
dead  was  one  of  the  chief  agents."  And  then  I  told 
him  at  considerable  length  the  exact  circumstances  un- 
der which  I  had  first  been  taken  to  Gramberg  by  von 
Krugen  and  Steinitz.  "  You  can  easily  verify  what  I 
say,"  I  added. 

"  You  mean  by  those  two  men  who  have  since  been 
your  tools  in  the  affair? "  he  sneered. 

"  I  mean  by  finding  the  real  von  Fromberg  and  ques- 
tioning him. " 

Despite  his  sneer  I  could  see  that  the  story  impressed 
him ;  and  he  put  a  number  of  questions  to  test  its  con- 
sistency and  truth. 

"You  don't  attempt  to  deny,  then,  that  you  were 
willing  to  continue  the  impersonation  of  the  late  Prince 
and  to  accept  the  inheritance? " 

"  There  were  no  gains  in  what  you  call  the  inheri- 
tance. The  only  inheritance  was  the  castle  of  Gram- 
berg itself,  mortgaged  for  a  great  deal  more  than  its 
value.  Scarcely  a  valuable  prize  for  such  an  adventurer 
as  men  appear  to  have  described  me  to  you.  I  have  my 
own  private  fortune — a  large  one." 

"  There  was  something  else  at  the  castle  besides  a 
mortgage,"  he  sneered. 

"  Indeed  there  was,"  I  replied  quickly,  purposely  mis- 


An   Old  Enemy  319 

understanding  him.  "  There  was  a  mess  of  intrigue 
and  treachery  against  the  Countess  Minna." 

"  And  you  were  the  cavalier  to  save  her  from  it — and 
for  yourself. " 

The  gibe  made  my  blood  boil. 

"That  is  the  sneer  of  a  coward,"  I  cried  hotly. 
"  And  if  that  is  to  be  the  tone  in  which  you  dare  to  ad- 
dress me,  I  decline  to  say  another  word  or  to  remain  in 
your  presence.  I  am  prepared  to  tell  you  the  whole 
truth,  and  to  lay  bare  every  word,  motive,  and  act  of 
mine  throughout ;  but  I  will  not  allow  you  or  any  man 
to  insult  me  in  that  coarse  and  brutal  fashion. " 

He  laughed  coldly. 

"  You  use  bold  terms,"  he  said. 

"  I  will  back  them  with  acts.  Unless  you  pledge 
yourself  to  abstain  from  further  insults,  you  can  send 
me  to  jail  or  to  hell  itself  before  I'll  remain  here." 

"I'm  not  accustomed  to  make  compacts  with  prison- 
ers." 

"Nor  I  to  hold  converse  with  bullies  who  forget 
themselves!  "  I  cried,  all  my  old  hate  of  the  man  fired 
by  his  manner  and  words. 

I  got  up  and  turned  to  the  door. 

"Come  back  at  once,  sir,"  he  thundered.  "If  you 
dare  to  attempt  to  leave  this  room  you  go  straight  to  a 
prison." 

"  Rather  there  than  here. "  I  flung  the  words  at  him 
over  my  shoulder,  and  went  on  toward  the  door. 

He  struck  the  bell  on  his  table  sharply,  and  the  door 
opened  as  I  neared  it  to  admit  two  men  in  uniform. 

"  Will  you  return  here? "  he  called  to  me. 

"  No,  not  without  a  pledge  that  you  cease  to  insult 
me." 

"  Detain  that  man,"  he  cried  to  the  others,  who  came 


320  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  stood  on  either  side  of  me,  and  laid  their  hands  on 
my  shoulders. 

I  stood  with  my  back  to  the  table. 

"Face  him  round,"  he  ordered,  his  voice  thick  with 
anger. 

The  men  forced  me  to  turn  round. 

"  Now,  sir,  I  give  you  a  last  chance,"  he  cried,  point- 
ing his  finger  at  me  and  shaking  it  menacingly. 

"I  don't  accept  it,"  I  answered  recklessly.  "I've 
had  enough  of  this  Inquisition  process.  I  will  have  a 
public  trial.  I  am  not  ashamed  of  what  I  have  done ; 
but  I  should  be  ashamed  of  myself  if  I  stayed  here  to 
be  bullied  and  browbeaten  and  insulted  and  sneered 
at  by  you.  Do  what  you  like. " 

My  recklessness  was  a  factor  on  which  he  had  not 
calculated,  and  I  could  tell  by  his  indecision  how  it  per- 
plexed him.  Without  my  version  of  the  plot  he  could 
not  hope  to  get  a  full  grasp  of  the  facts,  and  I  reckoned 
that  in  an  affair  of  such  real  State  importance  he  would 
be  altogether  unwilling  to  have  any  public  trial. 

"  Leave  us  a  moment,"  he  said  to  the  men;  and  when 
they  had  gone  he  asked,  "  Do  you  mean  to  persist  in 
this  obstinacy? " 

" '  Obstinacy ! '  Is  that  what  you  call  my  refusal  to 
be  a  stalking-horse  for  your  ill-conditioned  flouts  and 
gibes,  after  you  have  had  me  dragged  three  hundred  or 
four  hundred  miles,  and  hauled  in  here  that  you  may 
treat  me  like  a  dog  or  a  thief,  without  even  telling  me 
the  charge  preferred  against  me?  If  that  be  obstinacy, 
then  indeed  I  am  obstinate,  and  shall  remain  so.  But 
I  will  do  more  than  that.  I  will  appeal  to  the  Emperor 
himself,  and  tell  him  the  story  to  which  you  have  re- 
fused a  courteous  ear." 

"  The  Emperor  does  not  concern  himself  with  the 


An  Old  Enemy  321 

private  offences  of  every  nameless  adventurer  in  his 
empire. " 

"  I  am  no  nameless  adventurer.  I  bear  a  name " 

I  stopped,  checked  by  the  cold,  steely  glance  of  his  eye. 

"  What  name  is  that?  Or  what  do  you  say  it  is? "  he 
asked  when  I  paused. 

"  I  decline  to  tell  you ;  "  and  with  that  I  turned  on  my 
heel  and  walked  to  the  back  door. 

Again  the  bell  was  rung,  and  the  two  men  entered. 

"Detain  the  prisoner  in  the  ante-room,"  cried  von 
Augener  peremptorily;  "and  send  the  chief  of  the 
police  to  me  at  once.  I'll  find  a  way  to  make  you  talk," 
he  added  angrily  to  me. 

I  was  led  out  into  the  ante-room,  and  the  men 
mounted  guard  over  me,  the  rest  of  those  present,  who 
were  lolling  and  chatting  idly,  staring  at  me  with  some 
curiosity.  I  cared  nothing.  My  temper  was  still  ex- 
cited, and  my  pulses  throbbing  with  anger,  as  I  sat 
paying  scant  heed  to  what  went  on  around  me. 

Suddenly  there  came  a  change.  Every  man  in  the 
room  leapt  to  his  feet  and  stood  rigid  at  attention.  A 
strong,  firm,  somewhat  harsh  voice  was  heard,  which 
I  knew  well ;  and,  like  the  rest,  I  rose  instinctively  as  I 
saw  the  Emperor  enter  the  room,  followed  by  two  offi- 
cers of  his  suite.  A  single,  hurried,  sweeping  glance 
of  his  appeared  to  notice  everything  in  the  place,  and 
after  a  rapid,  lightning  look  in  my  direction,  the  eyes 
dwelling  on  my  face  for  one  second,  he  passed  through 
the  door  and  entered  the  room  which  I  had  just  left. 
When  I  resumed  my  seat  my  heart  was  beating  fast,  no 
longer  with  anger  against  von  Augener,  but  with  the 
thought  of  meeting  again  under  such  altered  circum- 
stances the  powerful  and  remarkable  monarch  who,  as 
a  Prince,  had  been  my  intimate  companion.  I  hoped 

31 


322  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

and  more  than  half  believed  that  he  had  come  so  that 
he  might  be  present  at  my  examination.  I  guessed  he 
would  have  been  told  the  hour  fixed  for  it,  and,  let  the 
risks  be  what  they  might,  I  resolved  that  the  oppor- 
tunity should  not  pass,  if  I  could  possibly  help  it,  with- 
out my  obtaining  an  audience.  I  would  put  everything 
to  the  hazard  in  order  to  lay  before  him  directly  the 
true  story  of  the  plot  from  Minna's  point  of  view,  and 
I  would  back  my  statement  with  an  avowal  of  my  iden- 
tity. A  quarter  of  an  hour  later  the  door  was  opened 
again — and  how  anxiously  I  had  kept  my  eyes  glued  to 
it  may  be  imagined — and  I  was  ordered  to  return  alone 
into  the  room.  My  excitement,  as  I  rose  to  obey,  was 
so  intense  and  unnerving  that  it  was  all  I  could  do  to 
command  myself  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  walk  steadily 
into  the  presence. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

THE    EMPEROR 

WHEN  I  entered  the  room  the  second  time,  old  von 
Augener  was  still  sitting  at  the  table,  and  the  Emperor 
was  standing  at  one  of  the  windows,  his  stern,  strong 
profile  showing  to  me  clear  cut  and  hard  against  the 
light.  I  halted  just  inside  the  door,  and  stood  gazing 
at  him.  I  was  in  a  sense  half  fascinated  by  the  crowd 
of  emotions  which  his  presence  roused.  To  me  he  was 
still  what  he  had  always  been — the  type  of  much  that 
is  best  and  highest  in  mankind,  while  his  actual  great- 
ness and  nobility  were  magnified  many  times  by  the 
glamour  of  my  old  personal  affection  for  him.  Had  he 
known  who  I  was,  what,  I  wondered,  would  have  been 
the  manner  of  my  reception?  As  I  entered  the  room 
the  two  members  of  the  suite  left  it,  and  we  three — the 
Emperor,  von  Augener,  and  I — were  left  alone.  Igno- 
rant though  the  harsh  old  man  was  of  my  identity,  yet 
the  hate  and  hostility  which  he  had  felt  for  me  originally 
appeared  to  motive  him  now,  for  he  scowled  to  the  full 
as  angrily  as  on  that  day  when  he  had  come  to  my  cabin 
to  pass  the  virtual  sentence  of  death  upon  me. 

"  Now,"  he  called  suddenly,  with  a  sharp,  rasping  jerk 
of  his  voice,  for  he  saw  that  my  eyes  were  fixed  on  the 
Emperor,  "stand  here,  if  you  please,"  and  he  pointed 
to  a  spot  in  front  of  his  table.  "  You  refused  to  speak 
a  few  minutes  since,  and  to  tell  me  what  you  know  of 
this  matter.  Perhaps  you  will  do  so  now  since  his 


324  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

Majesty  has  graciously  vouchsafed  to  give  you  another 
chance." 

The  harshness  of  his  manner  did  more  than  anything 
else  could  have  done  to  collect  my  somewhat  scrambled 
wits. 

"  I  did  not  refuse  to  say  what  I  knew — I  refused  to 
submit  to  insinuations  that  were  insulting  to  me.  I 
told  you  that  if  you  would  question  me  withoiit  insult  I 
would  repty.  I  am  only  too  anxious  to  make  known 
every  fact  in  my  possession,  and  it  was  my  intention  to 
solicit  an  audience  of  his  Majesty  for  that  purpose. " 

The  old  bully  listened  with  very  ill  grace  to  this, 
and  would  have  frowned  me  down  had  he  dared ;  but  I 
was  not  to  be  stopped  by  him. 

"  You  have  told  me  how  you  went  to  Gramberg,  and 
you  allege  that  you  remained  there  to  protect  the 
Countess  Minna  from  a  plot  against  her.  How  came 
you  as  a  stranger  to  know  anything  about  such  a 
plot? " 

"  I  was  told  that  the  Count  von  Nauheim  was  the 
acknowledged  representative  of  a  powerful  section  of 
the  Gramberg  supporters  here  in  Munich,  and  that  it 
was  a  part  of  the  compact  that  he  should  have  the 
countess  as  his  wife ;  the  alleged  reason  being  the  de- 
sire to  secure  to  that  section  a  direct  share  of  the  influ- 
ence which  the  throne  would  naturally  wield.  As  I 
knew  that  the  count  was  already  married,  and  a  man  of 
the  vilest  and  most  infamous  character,  the  inference 
of  treachery  lay  on  the  surface." 

"The  inference  might  affect  the  man  himself,  but 
how  do  you  know  that  others  were  aware  of  his  char- 
acter? " 

"  The  fact  itself  was  a  sufficient  motive  to  induce  me 
to  try  and  save  the  girl  from  such  a  man — the  proofs 


The  Emperor  325 

that  others  were  concerned  with  him  came  afterward 
and  gradually." 

"What  proofs?" 

"  That  von  Nauheim,  at  the  instigation  of  others,  had 
virtually  murdered  the  Countess  Minna's  brother  at  the 
moment  when  a  former  plot  was  rife  to  carry  the  throne 
and  put  the  Count  Gustav  upon  it.  The  murder  was  in 
this  wise; "  and  I  told  the  story  of  Praga's  duel. 

As  I  spoke,  unfolding  the  story  gradually  and  with 
such  skill  as  I  had  at  command,  I  saw  the  face  by  the 
window  growing  darker  and  gloomier  and  sterner  every 
minute. 

"  There  is  a  nest  of  vermin  here  that  needs  clearing 
out,"  exclaimed  von  Augener  at  the  close.  "  How  do 
you  know  all  this?  " 

"  From  Praga  himself,  who  extorted  the  confession 
of  the  whole  plot  from  von  Nauheim  both  in  writing 
and  afterward  in  the  presence  of  the  Countess  Minna 
and  myself.  Praga  was  himself  attacked  in  turn  by  the 
agents  of  these  men,  because  he  had  refused  to  do  what 
they  wished — to  murder  me.  By  a  lucky  stroke  of  for- 
tune, it  was  I  who  chanced  to  come  to  his  help." 

"  What  attempts  have  been  made  on  you,  and,  in  your 
opinion,  why?" 

For  answer  I  described  the  means  by  which  I  had  at 
the  meeting  managed  to  make  my  life  necessary  for  the 
carrying  on  of  their  scheme. 

"There  was  a  plot  within  a  plot,"  I  said — "an  open 
plot,  of  which  the  securing  of  the  crown  for  the  Count- 
ess Minna  was  the  object  ostensibly ;  and  a  secret  one, 
which  aimed  at  her  ruin,  to  make  her  unfit  to  become 
Queen  by  mating  her  with  a  man  already  married,  or 
to  ruin  her  by  putting  her  intp  his  power  for  an  object 
infinitely  more  foul  and  vile.  It  was  against  that  I  had 


326  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

to  fight,  and  to  fight  almost  single-handed ;  "  and  I  went 
on  to  describe  at  length  many  of  the  incidents  of  the 
past  few  weeks. 

"  Why  did  you  not  come  to  Berlin,  sir? " 
The  question  came  from  the  Emperor,  who  wheeled 
round  on  me  as  if  clinching  an  accusation,  while  he 
stared  fixedly  at  me,  those  searching,  piercing,  wonder- 
ful eyes  of  his  boring  into  my  head. 

"  You  would  have  spared  us  all  this  trouble. " 
"  I  should  have  spared  myself  also  the  humiliation  of 
having  no  sufficient  answer  to  your  Majesty's  question," 
was  my  reply.  "  I  see  it  now.  My  motive  was  that  I 
feared  the  enmity  of  the  Ostenburg  family  would  reach 
the  Countess  Minna  wherever  she  might  be.  I  was 
told,  and  believed  that  indeed,  that  they  would  suffer 
no  Gramberg  rival  for  the  throne  to  remain  alive  and 
at  liberty.  I  knew  that  they  had  compassed  the  death 
of  the  brother  and  had  plotted  a  dishonor  worse  than 
death  against  the  countess  herself,  and  I  believed  there 
were  no  limits  to  their  venom  and  hostility." 

"  But  how  could  you  hope  to  save  her  by  allowing 
things  to  go  on?  "  he  asked  again  after  a  pause  in  the 
same  sharp,  indicting  tone. 

"  I  thought  I  had  devised  a  scheme  by  which  I  could 
put  the  countess  in  a  position  of  such  strength  that  she 
could  dictate  virtually  her  own  terms,  and  so  secure 
that  liberty  which  I  feared  they  would  never  otherwise 
concede.  My  plan  was  to  allow  the  conspiracy  to  go 
forward  for  putting  the  countess  upon  the  throne,  to 
postpone  the  marriage  with  von  Nauheim,  and  then  to 
watch  for  and  thwart  the  attempt  I  knew  would  be 
made  to  get  her  into  their  power ;  and  at  the  same  time 
to  deliver  a  counter-blow  and  to  get  the  Ostenburg 
heir,  the  Duke  Marx,  into  my  own  hands.  I  calculated 


The   Emperor  327 

that  then  I  could  make  my  own  terms  in  the  countess's 
interests." 

"  'Fore  Heaven,  sir,  you  don't  lack  daring  to  play 
fast  and  loose  with  thrones  in  this  way,"  cried  von  Au- 
gener ;  while  the  Emperor  stood  sternly  silent,  revolv- 
ing what  I  had  said. 

"Tell  me  the  rest,"  he  said  abruptly. 

"  My  scheme  broke  in  my  hands,  because  I  was  my- 
self betrayed  to  them.  The  Baron  Heckscher  succeeded 
in  gaining  information  of  my  plans,  or  rather  of  that 
part  of  them  which  I  had  made  for  the  safe-keeping  of 
the  countess,  and  he  outwitted  me  at  the  last  moment," 
and  I  described  the  whole  ruse  by  which  Minna  had 
been  carried  off  at  the  ball  and  Clara  Weylin  put  in 
her  place. 

The  story  was  interesting  enough  to  them,  and  both 
listened  closely.  When  I  ended,  von  Augener  bent  to 
read  some  of  the  papers  on  his  desk,  in  order,  as  I  saw, 
to  compare  what  I  had  told  him  with  what  had  been 
previously  reported  to  him. 

But  the  Kaiser  needed  no  notes ;  that  extraordinary 
memory  of  his  carried  every  detail,  item,  and  particu- 
lar, and  as  I  was  telling  him  my  version  he  was  com- 
paring it  link  for  link  with  what  he  already  knew,  in  a 
process  of  subtle  mental  analysis. 

"And  your  next  step?"  he  asked  sharply  after  a 
short  pause. 

"  To  make  my  possession  of  the  Duke  Marx  perfectly 
secure,  and  then  to  warn  Baron  Heckscher  that  I  held 
the  duke  as  a  hostage  for  the  safety  of  the  countess." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  admit  that  you  openly  threatened 
to  use  violence  on  the  person  of  the  duke,  the  heir  to 
the  throne?"  asked  von  Augener,  as  if  aghast  at  my 
temerity  in  venturing  on  such  a  confession. 


328  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

"  I  threatened  it,  and  I  meant  it  too,"  I  replied,  in  a 
voice  firm  enough  to  prove  that  I  was  in  earnest. 

"  You  can  see  the  heinousness  of  that  offence? " 

"  It  was  not  a  tenth  part  so  bad  as  the  offences  of  the 
Ostenburg  party.  They  had  actually  murdered  one 
heir  and  threatened  another.  I  had  chosen  a  course 
and  was  compelled  to  carry  it  out  my  own  way.  But  I 
knew  the  baron  would  never  drive  me  to  an  extreme 
step  of  that  kind.  While  I  held  the  duke  in  pawn  the 
baron  was  helpless  and  had  no  option  but  to  yield  to 
me.  And  this  I  made  him  understand,"  and  with  that 
I  gave  them  a  full  report  of  my  last  interview  with 
Baron  Heckscher,  and  of  the  compact  we  then  made — 
that  Minna  should  be  given  up  to  me  and  the  Duke 
Marx  set  at  liberty,  the  condition  being  that  the  former 
should  go  away  and  leave  the  latter  at  liberty  to  come 
forward  when  called  to  the  throne,  and  that  there  should 
be  a  subsequent  definite  renunciation  by  Minna  of  all 
claim  to  the  crown. 

"A  pretty  ring  of  king-makers,  indeed!"  exclaimed 
von  Augener. 

"  And  that  '  compact, '  as  you  term  it,  was  carried 
out? "  asked  the  Emperor. 

"  Yes,  sire.  But  everything  was  jeopardized  at  the 
eleventh  hour  by  the  villany  of  the  man  von  Nauheim, 
who  made  a  bold  effort  to  break  away  with  the  count- 
ess, having  as  his  confederate  her  aunt,  the  Baroness 
Gratz." 

"  You  scatter  your  charges  with  a  free  hand,  young 
man.  Every  one  appears  to  be  a  rogue  but  yourself," 
ejaculated  von  Augener,  whose  malice  apparently 
prompted  him  to  see  and  put  my  conduct  in  the  worst 
light. 

The  Emperor  lifted  a  protesting  hand,  however. 


The  Emperor  329 

"Tell  your  tale,"  he  said,  addressing  me  curtly. 

"  Every  word  I  say  can  be  tested  by  independent  in- 
quiry," I  answered.  "  These  people  are  accused  not  by 
my  words,  but  by  their  own  acts." 

I  described  then  my  journey  to  Landsberg  and  what 
had  happened  there,  though  I  said  nothing  of  the  love 
scenes. 

"  And  by  that  time,  I  suppose,  you  thought  you  had 
done  enough  to  warrant  you  in  running  off  with  the 
countess  herself? "  said  old  von  Augener. 

I  made  no  reply,  but  kept  my  face  as  though  he  had 
not  spoken. 

"  How  came  you  to  attempt  to  fly  the  country? "  asked 
the  Emperor. 

"  I  was  not  attempting  to  fly  the  country,  sire,"  I  re- 
plied readily.  "  I  had  told  the  countess  of  the  interview 
with  Baron  Heckscher,  and  my  advice  to  her  was  that 
she  should  put  the  frontier  between  her  and  the  enemies 
who  had  betrayed  and  persecuted  her  with  such  viru- 
lence. I  was  taking  her  to  Charmes,  to  the  care  of  the 
man  in  whose  place  I  stood,  Herr  von  Fromberg,  now 
known  as  M.  Henri  Frombe ;  and  I  had  told  her  that  I 
should  immediately  return  either  here  or  to  Berlin  to 
lay  her  case  before  your  Majesty,  that  her  interests 
might  be  secured  and  herself  protected  from  further 
violence." 

"  But  you  kept  up  your  personation  of  the  Prince," 
cried  von  Augener,  seeing  another  point  to  be  scored 
against  me. 

"  I  deemed  that  a  necessary  step  until  all  could  be 
explained.  The  countess  was  left  at  Landsberg  with- 
out a  friend  to  whom  she  could  turn.  The  Baroness 
Gratz,  who  should  have  protected  her,  had  first  betrayed 
her  to  Baron  Heckscher,  and  then  connived  at  von  Nau- 


33° 


A  Dash  for  a  Throne 


helm  stealing-  away  with  her  from  Landsberg.  What 
then  was  I  to  do?  I  had  explained  to  her  that  I  was 
not  the  Prince,  and  it  seemed  that  my  only  possible 
course  was  to  take  her  to  where  she  would  at  least  be 
in  the  care  of  a  relative,  and,  as  I  judged,  safe.  What 
else  should  I  have  done? " 

"  Is  that  all  you  have  to  say  of  your  part  in  the  plot? " 

The  question  came  from  the  Emperor  as  sharply  as  a 
pistol  shot. 

"  I  think  I  have  told  your  Majesty  everything  of  my 
share  in  it." 

"  You  haven't  told  us  what  you  hoped  to  gain  by  your 
work,"  said  the  vindictive  old  man,  ruthless  in  his  de- 
sire to  injure  me.  "  But  I  suppose  it's  no  use  to  ask 
that,"  he  added — this  with  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders,  as 
if  to  suggest  that  I  was  no  better  than  a  paltry,  unreli- 
able rascal,  who  would  tell  any  tale  and  any  lie  to  serve 
his  own  ends. 

I  let  the  sneer  pass  unheeded. 

"  Could  you  form  any  opinion  of  the  state  of  feeling 
in  Munich  or  in  the  kingdom?  "  was  the  Emperor's  next 
question. 

"  I  know  but  little  of  either  Munich  or  Bavaria,  sire. 
The  men  I  came  in  contact  with  were  certainly  men  of 
influence,  and  as  certainly  were  moved  by  feelings  of 
deep  resentment  against  the  conduct  of  the  King,  his 
extravagance  in  particular.  But  I  was  planning  for 
the  Countess  Minna's  safety,  and  not  probing  Bavarian 
politics." 

The  Kaiser's  face  gave  no  indication  of  the  impres- 
sion which  my  words  created,  and  after  a  moment's 
thought  he  dismissed  that  part  of  the  matter  with  a 
sentence,  and  turned  to  another. 

"  You  will  write  out  a  list  of  all  the  men  whom  you 


The  Emperor  331 

met.  And  now,  what  of  the  Countess  Minna?  Speak 
as  plainly  of  her  part  as  you  have  of  your  own. " 

The  last  words  were  welcome  indeed.  Like  the  wave 
of  a  brush,  they  wiped  out  the  sneers  of  von  Augener, 
and  showed  me  they  had  produced  no  effect. 

"I  thank  you,  sire,"  I  answered,  my  pulse  quicken- 
ing. "  The  countess  has  had  no  part  or  lot  in  all  this, 
save  that  of  passive  acquiescence  in  my  suggestions. 
She  was  against  the  scheme  when  her  brother  was  the 
claimant  for  the  throne ;  she  remained  hostile  to  it  when 
he  had  been  killed ;  and  when  the  Prince,  her  father, 
died,  she  was  resolute  never  under  any  circumstances 
to  consent  to  take  the  crown.  It  was  only  thfe  knowl- 
edge that  her  own  personal  safety  was  imperilled,  and 
the  belief  that  by  this  apparent  agreement  with  the 
scheme  she  could  best  secure  that  safety,  which  induced 
her  to  consent — to  even  appear  to  consent — to  any  such 
plot  being  carried  on  in  her  name.  For  that  belief  I 
myself  accept  the  responsibility.  She  left  it  to  me  to 
select  the  best  road  to  safety,  and  she  is  as  innocent 
as  any  unborn  babe  of  even  an  intention  to  conspire 
against  the  King." 

"You  have  taken  a  grave  responsibility,"  he  said 
sternly. 

"  And  I  trust  your  Majesty  will  visit  on  me  alone  the 
consequences,"  I  answered  earnestly.  "This  unfor- 
tunate girl  had  scarcely  any  one  round  her  but  those 
who  were  plotting  to  betray  her,  and  it  will  be  a  strange 
irony  if  I,  who  at  least  was  loyal  to  her,  have  brought 
her  under  the  heavy  lash  of  your  Majesty's  displeasure. " 

I  spoke  with  warm  feeling,  and  went  on  to  put  such 
reasons  as  my  fear  and  love  for  Minna  prompted  why 
any  penalty  for  what  had  been  done  should  fall  on  me. 

And  as  I  spoke  I  watched  the  Emperor  with  eager, 


332  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

hungry  keenness  for  some  sign  that  my  pleading  was 
likely  to  prevail.  But  not  a  feature  was  relaxed  for  an 
instant,  not  a  sign  or  token  did  he  give  of  feeling.  The 
face  retained  the  same  set,  impassive,  inflexible,  gloomy 
sternness  which  he  had  maintained  throughout.  He 
heard  me  to  the  end,  but  made  no  response  or  reply. 

There  remained  then  but  one  thing  more  for  me  to 
say,  one  more  avowal  to  make,  and  I  thought  of  it  with 
something  like  foreboding.  He  seemed  so  cold,  so  un- 
impressionable, so  infinitely  removed  from  me,  that  I 
could  not  bring  myself  to  hope  that  any  good  would 
result  from  my  declaring  my  identity.  There  appeared 
no  chords  of  old  friendship,  no  associations  of  comrade- 
ship to  reawaken.  But  there  was  at  least  the  chance 
that  it  would  convince  him  I  had  spoken  the  truth. 

He  appeared  to  me  as  the  type  and  embodiment  of 
cold,  rarefied,  unemotional  intellectuality.  Judgment 
founded  on  justice,  but  feelingless;  mind,  not  heart; 
the  very  presentment  of  retributive  righteousness  with- 
out the  warmth  of  charity.  A  man  who  had  accepted 
the  high  mission  of  his  rulership  in  a  spirit  of  unshak- 
able faith  in  the  heavenly  character  of  the  mission,  but 
who  in  accepting  it  had  bound  down  with  the  iron 
clamps  of  an  implacable  will  the  milder  attributes  which 
go  to  make  humanity  human. 

Who  was  to  say  what  would  be  the  effect  of  an  avowal 
like  mine  which,  like  a  sudden  sword-thrust,  might 
pierce  for  once  his  armor  of  inflexibility  and  set  flow- 
ing again  the  blood  of  his  older  nature? 

It  was  he  who  touched  the  subject  first,  and  in  the 
form  which  I  had  anticipated.  He  broke  a  long  pause 
to  say  : 

"  You  have  spoken  freely  enough,  but  what  is  the 
guarantee  of  your  truth?  " 


The  Emperor  333 

I  paused  an  instant,  and,  looking  him  straight  in  the 
face,  I  answered,  with  slow  emphasis : 

"  I  have  never  told  your  Majesty  a  lie  in  my  life." 

The  unexpected  character  of  the  reply  set  him  think- 
ing, and  he  fixed  his  eyes  on  mine. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that?  Who  are  you  and  what 
was  your  real  motive  in  this  ?  " 

Von  Augener  was  also  staring  hard  at  me,  and  I 
could  see  that  both  were  thinking  hard  in  the  effort  to 
solve  the  puzzle  I  had  evidently  set  them. 

I  let  a  minute  pass  without  a  word,  and  then  said  in 
a  low  voice : 

"  I  am  a  man  who  for  years  has  been  under  a  ban, 
condemned  to  live  an  empty,  useless,  purposeless  life. 
I  saw  in  this  affair  at  once  a  means  of  helping  a  help- 
less girl  who  was  sorely  beset  by  dangers ;  I  longed  for 
some  sphere  of  activity  for  myself  again;  and  I  hoped 
that  possibly  I  might  even  achieve  an  object  that  is 
never  out  of  my  thoughts. " 

I  found  myself  speaking  for  the  first  time  with  ner- 
vousness and  hesitation;  and  I  faltered,  and  then 
stopped. 

The  Emperor  made  no  reply,  but  kept  his  eyes  fixed 
piercingly  on  my  face. 

Old  von  Augener  sneered. 

"  We  are  getting  to  the  truth  now,  I  suppose. " 

The  sneer  was  just  the  tonic  I  needed.  I  found  my 
voice  again,  and  went  on  in  the  same  low  tone. 

"  For  years  I  have  been  one  of  the  most  pitiable  and 
remorseful  of  your  Majesty's  subjects,  and  I  was  fight- 
ing in  this  thing  in  the  vague  hope  that  it  might  possi- 
bly in  some  means  enable  me  to  regain  part  of  my  old 
character." 

I  thought  I  could  detect  a  faint  symptom  of  concern 


334  A   Dash   for  a  Throne 

on  the  tense,  set  face  turned  full  on  me — just  a  mo- 
mentary dilation  of  the  nostrils ;  but  it  passed  before 
my  pause  ended,  and  in  quite  as  brief,  stern  a  tone  as 
he  had  before  used  he  asked : 

"Who  are  you?" 

I  took  heart,  and  tried  to  brace  myself  for  the  final 
effort. 

"  Your  Majesty,  one  day  some  years  ago  in  one  of  the 
upper  reaches  of  the  Elbe  where  the  current  was  known 
to  be  fierce  and  dangerous  two  lads,  who  had  stolen 
away  from  their  companions,  were  bathing  alone.  The 
river  was  flooded  and  swollen,  and  the  stream  more 
than  commonly  perilous  to  the  swimmers.  It  proved 
too  powerful  for  one  of  them,  and  he  gave  a  cry  and 
sank.  His  friend — for  they  were  close  friends  then — 
himself  struggling  hard  with  the  stream,  was  ahead, 
and  had  nearly  reached  the  bank,  but  turned  back  and 
dived  for  his  friend,  and  under  the  mercy  of  God  was 
the  means  of  saving  his  life." 

I  stopped.  The  Emperor  was  staring  at  me  with  a 
look  of  such  intentness  as  I  have  never  seen  on  any 
human  face  before  or  since.  He  had  drawn  himself  to 
his  full  height ;  and  every  muscle  of  his  sinewy,  pow- 
erful, tireless  frame  was  at  full  tension,  while  his  breath 
was  labored,  and  came  and  went  through  his  dilated 
nostrils  as  though  the  passing  of  it  were  a  pain. 

But  he  made  no  answer. 

"  One  of  the  lads,  sire,  the  one  whose  life  was  in  dan- 
ger, was  the  future  ruler  of  the  mighty  German  em- 
pire ;  the  other " — I  paused  again,  and  then  suddenly 
threw  myself  on  one  knee  before  him — "was  your 
Majesty's  most  miserable  subject,  the  Count  Karl  von 
Rudloff,  whose  shameful,  violent  deed  against  you  later 
has  now  been  punished  by  five  years  of  bitter  re- 


The  Emperor  335 

morse  and  hopeless  solitude.     I  am  that  unhappiest 
of  men." 

"  Von  Rudloff  ? "  cried  the  Emperor,  now  in  amaze- 
ment, while  the  older  man  sprang  to  his  feet,  and  both 
stood  looking  down  at  me  in  unbounded  astonishment. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

COUNT     VON     RUDLOFF 

THE  effect  of  my  announcement  was  supreme.  I  my- 
self was  deeply  affected,  and  in  the  moments  of  critical 
silence  during  which  the  Emperor  and  his  old  confi- 
dential adviser  stood  gazing  at  me  I  could  not  raise 
my  head  to  meet  their  looks. 

The  Kaiser  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  You  have  amazed  me.  I  know  you  now,  but  I  did 
not.  What  was  the  meaning  of  your  pretended  death  ? 
Rise,  I  do  not  wish  you  to  kneel  to  me." 

There  seemed  a  little  hope  in  the  last  sentence.  I 
got  up  slowly. 

"  It  was  not  premeditated,  sire.  I  gave  my  word  to 
Count  von  Augener  here " 

"Stay,"  interposed  the  Kaiser  quickly,  turning  a 
frowning  face  to  his  adviser.  "  What  is  this?  " 

"  I  should  prefer  to  discuss  these  matters  in  private 
with  your  Majesty,"  was  the  answer,  not  without  what 
appeared  to  me  to  be  some  anxiety. 

"  Would  you  prefer  to  retire  at  once? " 

"  As  your  Majesty  pleases. " 

This  reply  was  given  with  great  reluctance. 

"  Be  it  so,  then,"  and  the  old  man  went  away,  giving 
me  a  glance  of  hate  as  he  passed. 

I  did  not  understand  the  meaning  of  this  develop- 
ment, and  stood  waiting  in  silence  for  the  Imperial 
command  to  speak. 


Count  von  RudlofF  337 

The  silence  lengthened  itself  into  minutes,  and,  when 
I  ventured  to  glance  at  the  Kaiser,  I  was  disconcerted 
to  find  that  he  was  staring  at  me  fixedly,  and,  as  it 
seemed,  very  sternly.  But  there  were  certain  symp- 
toms of  unrest  and  agitation  that  made  me  believe  that 
he  was  forcing  himself  rather  to  repress  every  trace  of 
the  feelings  I  had  roused. 

When  at  length  he  spoke,  his  voice  had  a  depth  and 
vibration  which  told  me,  who  knew  him  so  well,  how 
strongly  he  was  moved. 

"  Why  have  you  done  this?  Why  deceive  me  with  a 
gorgeous  lie  of  your  death  and  funeral?  Why  never 
declare  yourself  till  now?  " 

There  was  much  more  reproach  than  anger  in  the 
tone,  and  I  began  to  hope  again. 

"May  I  tell  your  Majesty  plainly  all  that  occurred? 
When  that  mad  thing  happened  on  the  yacht— a  mad- 
ness that  will  be  an  ever-pressing  grief  and  shame  to 
me  to  my  dying  hour — I  went  out  feeling  that  only  death 
at  my  own  hands  could  wipe  out  the  disgrace  of  it.  I 
should  have  killed  myself  that  night  but  for  the  reflec- 
tion that  my  death  might  come  to  be  publicly  associated 
with  what  had  happened.  Ther;,  the  next  day,  Count 
von  Augener  came  and  told  me  that  unless  I  was  dead 
within  a  week  my  death  would  be  an  infamous  one. 
The  threat  was  unneeded,  sire.  That  day  I  went  to 
Berlin  to  Dr.  Mein  S ." 

And  I  went  on  to  give  him  a  succinct  account  of  all 
the  circumstances  by  which  the  old  doctor  had  led  me 
to  believe  that  I  was  dying,  and  had  played  out  the 
drama  of  my  funeral  while  I  lay  in  his  house  uncon- 
scious. 

"I  set  out  from  Berlin,"  I  continued,  "to  make  the 
career  which  the  old  man  had  spoken  of,  and  my  first 

22 


338  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

effort  was  on  the  stage.  There  I  learnt  the  secret  of 
disguise,  and  became  what  you  see  me,  to  all  intents 
and  purposes  another  man  in  appearance.  A  little 
more  than  a  year  ago  the  doctor  died  and  left  me  his 
large  fortune,  and  I  was  once  again  set  roaming,  alive, 
but  without  a  life  to  live,  when  I  was  carried,  against 
my  will  and  in  spite  of  my  protests,  to  Gramberg,  and 
plunged  into  the  seething  cauldron  of  intrigue  there. 
The  rest  your  Majesty  knows,  and  it  remains  only  for 
me  to  say  that  the  one  wild  hope  I  had  in  carrying  the 
intrigue  forward  was  that  I  might  perhaps  so  control 
the  position  here  in  Munich  as  to  prove  myself  of  serv- 
ice to  you,  sire,  and  be  able  to  plead  it  as  a  ground  for 
your  pardon." 

His  Majesty  had  made  no  comment  during  the  whole 
narrative,  and  now  he  stood  for  some  moments  without 
making  a  reply.  He  stared  steadfastly  at  me  the  whole 
time  with  an  expression  of  sombre,  stern  melancholy. 
When  he  spoke  at  length  it  was  in  the  firm,  quick,  de- 
cisive tone  which  he  used  when  his  mind  was  made  up 
and  his  course  chosen. 

"  I  accept  your  story  absolutely,  for  I  believe  you  in- 
capable of  intentional  deceit  toward  me.  So  far  as  the 
Countess  Minna  is  concerned,  it  will  be  my  personal 
care  to  see  that  she  is  righted,  and  her  enemies 
thwarted." 

He  ceased  as  abruptly  as  he  had  spoken. 

"  May  I  thank  you "  I  began. 

"  You  have  no  right  to  speak  for  her,"  he  interrupted 
shortly. 

I  took  the  rebuff  in  silence,  and  stood  wondering 
what  he  would  say  as  to  my  own  affairs.  There  came 
another  long,  trying  pause. 

"You  did  wrong,  very  wrong,"  he  burst  out,  with 


Count  von  Rudloff  339 

sudden  vehemence,  speaking  almost  passionately.  "  I 
have  been  badly  served  in  your  matters.  You  were 
no  more  to  blame  than  I  myself,  and  you  have  made 
me  bear  for  five  years  the  secret  fear  that  I  drove 
you  to  your  death.  And  I  have  cares  enough  with- 
out that." 

He  stopped,  and  I  looked  up  as  if  to  speak,  but  he 
silenced  me  with  a  gesture ;  and  the  grandeur  of  his 
dignity  awed  me.  I  recognized  the  supremely  unselfish 
magnanimity  of  his  act,  and  I  longed  to  put  my  feelings 
into  words ;  but  I  fell  back  abashed  and  speechless  be- 
fore the  sense  of  intense  power  and  majesty  which  sur- 
rounded him  like  a  subtle,  magnetic  force.  He  stood 
buried  in  thought,  wholly  self-absorbed  for  some  min- 
utes ;  and  then  in  the  same  abrupt  manner  broke  the 
silence  to  dismiss  me. 

"  Leave  me  now,  and  remain  in  the  ante-room.  I 
will  see  you  later  or  send  you  my  decision  as  to  your- 
self." 

I  backed  to  the  door,  bowing,  and  had  all  but  reached 
it  in  silence  when  a  hasty  movement  of  his  caused  me 
to  look  up. 

"Stay,"  he  cried,  and  he  came  toward  me  with  his 
quick,  firm  stride.  "  I  cannot  let  you  go  like  this.  I 
am  glad  you  are  living.  You  come  back  to  me  out  of 
the  past  that  is,  and  must  be,  dead ;  and  our  friendship 
is  one  of  the  dead  things  in  it.  An  Emperor  has  no 
friend  but  his  God.  Still  we  were  friends  once,  and 
this  is  our  more  proper  parting." 

He  held  out  his  hand  to  me,  and  took  mine  and 
clasped  it ;  and  at  the  clasp  of  it  my  blood  thrilled  in 
accord  with  a  thousand  thoughts  and  promptings.  I 
carried  his  hand  to  my  lips. 

"  If  your  Majesty  will  give  me  a  chance  of  serving 


340  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

you  again  in  any  capacity,  my  life  shall  be  ever  at  your 
bidding." 

I  spoke  from  my  heart,  and  my  voice  trembled  under 
the  strain  of  my  feelings. 

"  I  believe  you.  But  you  yourself  have  made  it  diffi- 
cult. Save  for  that,  what  might  we  not  have  been !  " 

There  was  no  sternness  or  harshness  in  this.  It  was 
not  my  Emperor  who  spoke,  but  for  one  fleeting  in- 
stant it  was  the  personal  lament  of  my  old  true  friend 
whose  friendship  I  had  cast  away.  The  words  brought 
the  tears  to  my  «yes,  and  I  could  not  look  up  at  him, 
though  I  knew  his  eyes  were  bent  upon  me,  and  judged 
that  their  light  was  a  kindly  one.  A  moment  later  the 
mood  passed  with  him,  or  was  crushed  back  by  the  re- 
lentless power  of  his  stern  will.  He  drew  himself  up 
to  his  customary,  rigid,  soldier-like  attitude,  and  said  in 
the  short,  sharp  tone  of  a  military  command : 

"  And  now  leave  me. " 

I  backed  out,  and  took  my  place  in  the  ante -room,  a 
prey  to  a  tumultuous  rush  of  emotions  which  flooded 
upon  me,  preventing  for  the  moment  any  attempt  at 
consecutive  thought.  My  mind  was  a  maelstrom,  in 
which  hopes,  regrets,  fear,  and  delight  were  mingled 
in  an  indistinguishable  whirlpool. 

Presently,  out  of  the  roar  and  rush  of  inchoate  emo- 
tions, three  thoughts  began  to  dominate  me. 

Regret — bitter,  maddening,  and  unavailing — for  the 
years  I  had  lost  and  the  career  I  had  thrown  away; 
wrath,  wild  and  vengeful,  against  the  old  enemy  of  my 
family,  von  Augener,  for  the  treachery  of  his  action 
toward  me;  and  delight,  infinitely  sweet,  that  Minna's 
safety  was  secured,  and  that,  after  all,  it  was  I  who  had 
secured  it. 

The  last  outweighed  the  others,  and  I  lost  myself  in 


Count  von  Rudloff  341 

the  maze  of  a  love  reverie  as  I  sat  there,  picturing  the 
joy  that  would  leap  from  her  eyes  and  the  light  that 
would  gladden  her  beautiful  face  if  only  I  could  be  the 
messenger  of  the  good  news.  And  it  was  to  be  so. 

After  I  had  waited  I  know  not  how  long,  for  time 
goes  unmeasured  in  love  dreams,  some  one  came  and 
addressed  me  by  a  name  that  made  me  jump  to  my  feet 
and  stare  at  the  messenger  like  one  half  beside  himself. 

"Count  von  Rudloff!" 

It  was  one  of  the  two  members  of  the  suite  I  had 
seen  with  the  Emperor  before  my  interview  with  him. 

"  You  are  addressing  me,  sir? "  I  asked. 

"I  am  addressing  the  Count  von  Rudloff,"  he  an- 
swered, with  that  air  of  impassive  coolness  that  men 
of  his  kind  affect. 

I  made  an  effort  to  regain  my  self-possession,  and  to 
answer  him  with  the  same  measured  calmness. 

"  I  am  the  Count  von  Rudloff,"  I  said. 

"  I  bring  you  a  letter  from  the  Emperor,  count. " 

He  waited  while  I  tore  it  open  with  fingers  that  trem- 
bled. It  was  short  and  peremptory  enough,  but  what 
did  it  not  mean  to  me? 

"  I  have  decided  to  restore  to  you  your  title  and  pos- 
sessions. The  question  of  your  future  career  remains 
in  abeyance  for  the  present." 

That  was  all;  with  the  signature  of  the  Emperor 
himself. 

"  May  I  be  the  first  to  offer  a  word  of  congratulation, 
count?  "  asked  the  messenger. 

"Thank  you,  thank  you,"  I  murmured.  "It  is  all 
unexpected." 

He  still  waited,  and  I  thought  there  might  be  some- 
thing more  to  add. 

"  Is  there  anything  more  to  add?  "  I  asked. 


342  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"  His  Majesty  suggests  that  you  should  travel  for  a 
time — a  year  or  so,  perhaps — so  that  the  manner  of 
your  return  to  Berlin  and  your  resumption  of  your  po- 
sition may  not  seem  to  come  as  the  result  of  this  busi- 
ness here  in  Munich." 

"I  understand,"  I  said,  though  I  still  seemed  in  a 
dream.  "  And  am  I  free  to  go  where  I  please  now? " 

"  Certainly,"  he  returned,  smiling.  "  Can  I  be  of  any 
assistance? " 

"  No,  thank  you.  No.  I  have  some  urgent  business 
that  will  not  wait  another  second. " 

A  minute  after  that  I  had  left  the  palace,  and  was 
hurrying  as  fast  as  horses  could  drag  me  to  Minna  to 
tell  her  the  brilliant  news. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

THE    END 

WHEN  I  reached  Minna's  house,  I  had  an  experience 
that  at  first  amused  me.  I  could  not,  of  course,  any 
longer  treat  the  house  as  my  own,  nor  look  on  myself 
as  having  any  right  to  enter,  and  I  found  the  servants 
very  reluctant  to  admit  me  at  all,  and  it  was  only  after 
some  difficulty  that  I  succeeded  in  getting  shown  into 
a  room  close  to  the  door,  while  they  said  they  would 
carry  my  message.  I  waited  in  some  little  fever  of 
impatience,  and  when  the  delay  had  grown  into  min- 
utes I  began  to  wonder  that  Minna  should  take  so 
coolly  the  fact  of  my  return  and  the  news  she  must 
know  I  should  carry.  I  saw  the  explanation,  however, 
when  the  door  was  opened  and  the  Baroness  Gratz 
sailed  in,  pompous  and  very  angry. 

"  What  can  be  your  business  here  now? "  she  asked, 
staring  at  me  through  her  eyeglass. 

"  I  have  come  to  see  Minna,"  I  replied,  with  an  incli- 
nation to  smile  at  her  conduct. 

"  I  am  astounded  that  you  should  have  the  assurance 
to  come  here  after  your  egregious  imposture.  Of 
course  you  do  not  expect  to  see  her? " 

"Indeed  I  do,"  said  I  quickly,  "and  as  soon  as  pos- 
sible." 

"  And  pray  in  what  character  now? " 

This  with  a  contemptuous  and  insulting  curl  of  the 
lip.  I  paused  to  give  my  reply  the  greater  emphasis. 


344  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

"In  a  double  character — a  messenger  from  his  Maj- 
esty the  Emperor,  and  as  her  affianced  husband." 

"  You  are  not  her  affianced  husband,  and  I  will  not 
suffer  that  tale  to  be  told  in  my  presence.  As  for  the 
rest,  it  is  more  like  a  play-actor's  story.  You  imposed 
upon  us  too  long.  You  will  not  do  it  again."  She 
said  this  very  angrily  indeed,  and  added,  almost  spite- 
fully: "The  countess  does  not  wish  to  see  you." 

"In  this  case  I  am  afraid  she  cannot  choose,"  I  an- 
swered. "The  Emperor's  business  cannot  wait  upon 
any  prejudices  for  or  against  his  messengers."  There 
was  a  little  stretch  of  authority  insinuated  in  this. 
"  Moreover,  I  am  bound  to  say  that  I  prefer  to  have 
Her  decision  straight  from  herself." 

"You  suggest  that  I  lie,  I  suppose,"  she  cried,  her 
eyes  flashing.  "  You  are  too  brave  a  man  not  to  seize 
a  chance  of  insulting  a  defenceless  woman.  That  is 
your  stage  chivalry.  But  you  will  find  I  am  not  so  de- 
fenceless as  you  suppose." 

She  rang  the  bell  sharply  twice,  and  then,  somewhat 
to  my  surprise,  and  a  good  deal  to  my  pleasure,  the 
Baron  Heckscher  was  shown  in. 

"I  am  told  you  wish  to  see  me,  baroness,"  he  said, 
ignoring  my  presence. 

"  I  wish  you  to  tell  this  person  what  we  have  decided 
as  to  his  prosecution. " 

I  swung  round  on  him  instantly. 

"  I  am  glad  there  is  a  man  to  deal  with.  How  dare 
you  presume  to  meddle  in  my  affairs,  Baron  Heckscher?" 

"  Really — but  how  shall  I  call  you?  Not  the  Prince 
any  longer,  I  presume?  Then  what? "  and  he  regarded 
me  with  an  insolent  smile. 

"  His  Majesty  the  Emperor,  within  the  last  few  min- 
utes, has  been  good  enough  to  call  me  by  my  own  name 


The  End  345 

— the  Count  von  Rudloff.  That  may  be  a  precedent 
good  enough  for  even  you  to  follow." 

He  stared  at  me  in  blank  astonishment.  The  fact 
that  I  had  been  closeted  with  the  Emperor  might  mean 
everything  to  him,  and  at  the  thought  all  other  consid- 
erations were  dwarfed.  I  enjoyed  his  discomfiture. 
All  his  insolence  disappeared. 

"  You  do  not  believe  what  he  says,  surely?  "  cried  the 
vindictive  old  lady  when  he  made  no  immediate  answer, 
for  he  stood  in  great  perplexity  what  course  to  take  tow- 
ard me. 

"  You  will  see  you  cannot  remain  here  in  the  face  of 
the  baroness's  attitude,"  he  said  to  me  at  length,  with 
an  air  that  was  half  truculent  and  half  deprecatory. 

I  laughed. 

"  I  see  you  are  vastly  disconcerted  to  hear  that  I  have 
had  an  audience  with  his  Majesty,  and  have  left  him 
under  circumstances  that  augur  ill  for  you ;  and  well 
you  may  be,"  I  added  meaningly.  "  You  dare  to  med- 
dle in  my  matters  at  a  time  when  you  will  need  all  your 
wits  to  save  your  own  from  shipwreck.  But  I  have  had 
enough  of  you,  and  of  this  folly.  I  now  demand  in  the 
name  of  the  Emperor  to  see  the  Countess  Minna  von 
Gramberg,  and  if  you  attempt  to  stop  me,"  I  said  sternly 
to  the  Baroness  Gratz,  "  the  consequences  may  be  far 
more  grave  than  you  think. " 

Her  anger  and  dislike  of  me  gave  her  plenty  of  cour- 
age, however,  and  she  still  set  me  at  defiance,  abusing 
me  for  an  impostor  and  a  cheat ;  and  when  I  declared 
that  if  they  did  not  take  my  message  to  Minna  I  would 
myself  go  straight  to  her  rooms,  she  planted  herself  in 
front  of  the  door  and  dared  me  to  attempt  to  leave  it 
for  that  purpose,  and  vowed  she  would  call  the  servants 
if  I  would  not  go  away. 


346  A   Dash  for  a  Throne 

The  situation  began  to  verge  upon  the  ridiculous, 
despite  the  fact  that  it  was  in  a  measure  embarrassing. 
I  could  not  for  the  moment  see  what  to  do,  and  was 
debating  this  in  my  thoughts  when  a  sudden  turn  was 
given  to  matters  by  the  entrance  of  Minna  herself,  the 
door  being  opened  from  without. 

"Ah,  Minna!  "  I  cried,  hastening  to  her. 

The  Baroness  Gratz  stepped  in  between  us,  however, 
and  lifted  her  hand  as  if  to  keep  me  away. 

"  The  countess  is  here  in  my  charge, "  she  cried  to  me ; 
"  and  while  that  is  so  I  forbid  you  to  go  near  her. " 

But  love  laughs  at  prohibitions.  A  moment  later  we 
were  hand-locked,  and  she  had  read  in  my  glad  face 
that  my  news  was  good.  Then  she  turned  angrily  upon 
the  baroness,  her  face  flushed  and  her  eyes  shining : 

"You  have  no  right  to  interfere  with  me,"  she  said, 
her  words  shortly  and  sharply  spoken.  "  I  have  just 
heard,  to  my  intense  indignation,  that  you  have  even 
ventured  to  tell  my  servants  who  shall  and  who  shall 
not  enter  my  house.  Is  this  true? " 

"  So  far  as  it  relates  to  this  person,  of  course  it  is 
true.  You  are  in  my  charge,  and  it  is  my  duty 

"  You  have  mistaken  your  duty  and  overstepped  your 
privileges.  You  have  no  right  to  give  such  orders,  and 
to  do  it  in  my  name.  You  must  have  known  as  well  as 
I  that  the  last  man  in  the  world  against  whom  my  door 
would  ever  be  shut  would  be — my  affianced  husband ;  " 
and  she  raised  her  head,  and  stood  very  erect,  looking 
rarely  beautiful  in  her  pride  and  happiness. 

"  I  did  it  to  save  you  from  the  wiles  of  an  adventurer 
who " 

"Silence,  aunt  Gratz,  and  shame  to  you  for  those 
words,"  cried  Minna  hotly.  "  It  was  this  '  adventurer, ' 
as  you  dare  to  say,  who  saved  me  from  the  hands  of  the 


The  End  347 

villain  whose  schemes  you  helped,  and  from  the  cowardly 
double  plot  of  the  Baron  Heckscher  there.  As  for  you, 
sir,  if  you  knew  the  character  of  your  puppet  and  tool 
von  Nauheim,  as  I  firmly  believe  you  did,"  she  cried  to 
Baron  Heckscher,  "  there  are  no  words  bad  enough  to 
paint  the  infamous  vileness  of  your  treachery.  While 
pretending  to  conspire  in  my  interest,  and  while  pro- 
fessing loyalty  to  me  and  mine,  you  plotted  to  ruin  and 
dishonor  me ;  and  when  I  find  you  here  to-day  I  can 
only  believe  you  have  some  further  abominable  motive 
or  plot  against  me,  and  that  you  are  here  to  suborn 
some  of  those  about  me  for  your  purposes.  Be  good 
enough  to  leave  the  house. " 

"  I  have  come  to  protest  to  you "  he  began  in 

reply. 

"  I  decline  to  listen  to  you,  sir,"  she  interrupted,  with 
quiet  dignity. 

He  stood  a  moment,  scowling  viciously,  and  then,  with 
an  ugly  glance  at  me,  said : 

"  Your  nameless  friend  there " 

"I  have  already  told  you,"  I  broke  in  angrily,  "that 
I  am  the  Count  von  Rudloff,  and  that  the  Emperor 
himself  has  addressed  me  in  my  name." 

"  I  have  known  for  some  time  all  the  facts  as  to  this," 
added  Minna,  a  swift  flash  from  her  eyes  telling  me  her 
delight  at  the  news,  "  and  of  the  load  of  infinite  obliga- 
tion I  owe  to  the  Count  von  Rudloff ;  not  the  least  part 
of  it  is  for  the  defeat  and  exposure  of  your  schemes 
against  me.  Be  good  enough  to  spare  me  the  necessity 
of  bidding  my  servants  expel  you  from  the  house. " 

"You  had  better  go,  baron,"  I  put  in.  "You  will 
probably  find  at  your  house  by  this  time  a  summons  to 
the  Emperor's  presence,  for  he  has  heard  from  me  the 
whole  story  of  your  acts." 


348  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

This  statement  completed  his  disquiet,  and  without 
another  word  he  hurried  away. 

"You  will  be  troubled  by  him  no  more,  Minna,"  I 
said.  "  I  bring  you  the  best  of  news.  The  Emperor 
has  given  a  personal  pledge  to  answer  for  your  safety 
and  to  uphold  your  interests." 

"The  Emperor!  "  she  cried  in  a  tone  of  surprise. 

"  More  than  that :  I  have  told  him  all,  and  he  has 
acknowledged  my  title,"  and  I  showed  her  the  Imperial 
letter. 

Her  face  shone  with  pride  and  delight. 

"  I  can  forgive  every  one  now,  for  it  has  all  ended  so 
splendidly  for  you,"  she  said. 

"  For  us, "  I  corrected ;  and  she  acknowledged  the  cor- 
rection with  a  blush  and  a  smile  of  love  which  exasper- 
ated the  Baroness  Gratz,  who  had  been  listening  to  us 
in  indignant  silence. 

"  Then  I  suppose  you  have  no  more  use  for  me?  "  she 
declared,  with  an  angry  toss  of  the  head,  as  she  turned 
to  leave  us. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  yourself  have  made  it  difficult  for 
you  to  share  in  my  happiness — in  our  happiness,  I 
mean, "  said  Minna  gently.  "  I  am  so  happy  that  I  have 
no  room  for  any  thought  on  that  score  but  regret  that 
it  should  be  so. " 

"  You  were  always  an  ungrateful  girl,  Minna,"  replied 
the  old  lady  very  ungraciously,  bitter  to  the  end  against 
me.  "  And  I  have  no  wish  to  share  with  you,  or  de- 
prive you  of  any  part  of,  such  happiness  as  you  may 
expect  to  find  in  company  with  a  man  who  is  some- 
times play-actor,  sometimes  Prince,  and  always  an 
impostor,"  and  with  that  parting  taunt  she  flung 
away. 

"Poor  aunt  Gratz!  "  sighed  Minna. 


The   End  349 

Then  she  put  her  hands  in  mine,  and,  nestling  close 
to  me,  asked  with  a  winsome  coquettishness : 

"Am  I  ungrateful,  Karl?" 

My  answer  may  be  guessed,  and  it  took  long  in  tell- 
ing. But  we  returned  after  a  time  to  the  ways  of  com- 
mon sense,  and  then  I  told  her  what  had  passed  during 
the  audience  with  the  Kaiser ;  that  I  was  to  travel  for  a 
year,  and  then  return  to  Berlin  to  take  up  formally  my 
old  title  and  position. 

At  first  the  news  brought  a  cloud  to  her  happy  face. 

"A  year  is  a  long  time,  Karl,"  she  murmured. 
"  Shall  you  never  be  in  either  Munich  or  Gramberg  all 
that  time? " 

"  I  think  not.  I  expect  it  means  at  least  a  year  away 
from  the  Fatherland. " 

She  was  silent  and  looked  almost  sad. 

"  But  a  year  will  soon  pass,"  I  whispered. 

A  gesture  of  pretty  reproach  answered  me. 

"  If  you  would  make  a  little  sacrifice,  it  would  help,  I 
think. " 

"  Sacrifice !  "  she  echoed,  not  catching  my  meaning. 
And  when  I  did  not  reply  she  lifted  her  head  from  my 
shoulder  and  peered  into  my  eyes,  her  own  full  of  curi- 
osity. 

"  You  used  to  pride  yourself  on  reading  my  secrets," 
said  I. 

She  thought  a  minute ;  then  a  look  of  wonderment 
shone  in  her  eyes,  followed  almost  directly  by  a  great, 
glad  blush  that  spread  all  over  her  face,  dyeing  her 
cheeks  with  crimson  and  driving  her  to  hide  them 
against  my  shoulder. 

"I  don't  guess  this  one,"  she  said. 

But  I  was  sure  she  had. 

"Don't?" 


350  A  Dash  for  a  Throne 

"Won't,  then,"  she  murmured  into  my  coat  lapel. 
"It  could  not  be  yet,  of  course,"  said  I.     i4  But  in 

three  months " 

"  You  said  sacrifice,"  she  interrupted,  and  glanced  up 

with  a  quick  darting  of  the  eyes. 

"It  would  have  to  be  very  quiet — very,  very  quiet." 

"  It  is  nc  sacrifice  to  travel — in  company. " 

And  there  we  left  it ;  but  we  knew  well  enough  each 

other's  hopes  and  desires. 

To  accomplish  our  purpose  called  for  some  little  tact 
and  effort,  because  the  Emperor  was  for  having  Minna 
taken  to  Berlin  when  the  Munich  troubles  had  been 
arranged. 

His  prompt  and  drastic  measures  soon  settled  these, 
indeed. 

An  official  announcement  was  made  that  the  King 
had  been  suffering  from  an  indisposition,  but  had  hap- 
pily recovered  completely ;  and  a  couple  of  days  later 
saw  him  back  at  the  palace — but  with  a  change  in  the 
executive  which  was  calculated  to  work  vastly  benefi- 
cial results  for  the  country.  The  Heckscher  party  was 
broken  up,  their  influence  destroyed,  and  their  leaders 
dealt  with  secretly,  but  in  some  cases  none  the  less 
severely.  The  question  of  the  succession  to  the  throne 
was  settled  upon  a  sound  basis — one  of  the  points  being 
the  renunciation  by  Minna  of  all  the  Gramberg  claims. 

And  it  was  in  settling  this  that  the  matter  of  her 
marriage  was  mooted  and  the  Imperial  consent  gained 
to  her  becoming  my  wife.  We  succeeded,  too,  in  get- 
ting the  necessary  interval  fixed  at  three  months. 

The  time  passed  very  pleasantly.  It  was  the  sweet 
preface  to  a  life-long  romance. 

As  the  outcome  of  the  dash  we  had  made  for  the 


The  End  351 

throne  I  had  one  or  two  arrangements  to  complete,  and 
in  some  respects  the  most  difficult  of  these  was  in  re- 
gard to  the  Corsican  Praga.  I  could  not  retain  him  in 
my  service,  because  of  his  association  with  the  death  of 
Minna's  brother;  while  I  hoped,  too,  that  the  time 
would  never  recur  when  I  might  have  need  of  his 
clever,  sharp,  ready  sword.  I  told  him  the  case  plainly, 
and  he  was  too  careless  to  make  demur.  He  was  going 
to  marry  and  settle  in  Berlin,  he  assured  me — his  bride 
was  to  be  the  actress,  Clara  Weylin,  who  had  made 
her  peace  with  him  in  the  score  of  her  act  of  treachery 
— and  he  meant  to  be  the  greatest  fencing  master  in 
Berlin,  he  declared.  I  gave  him  as  a  wedding  present 
a  considerable  sum  of  money,  and  we  parted  with 
many  assurances,  characteristic  and  voluble,  on  his 
part  that  he  would  ever  be  devoted  to  me  and  my 
interests. 

Steinitz  I  kept  with  me  as  secretary,  and  von  Krugen 
was  to  remain  as  guardian  of  our  interests  at  Gramberg. 
There  was  one  commission  we  gave  to  the  two  just  be- 
fore our  marriage — to  go  to  Charmes  and  endeavor  to 
bring  the  real  von  Fromberg  to  Munich  to  be  present 
at  the  marriage. 

Minna  and  I  were  together  when  they  started,  and 
she  was  looking  more  radiant  and  beautiful  than  ever 
in  the  anticipative  joy  of  the  marriage. 

I  gave  them  full  instructions,  and  then,  with  a  smile, 
I  turned  to  von  Krugen. 

"  Be  more  careful  this  time,"  I  said,  "  and  be  sure  you 
bring  the  right  man. " 

"  I  could  not  have  brought  a  better  man  last  time, 
count,"  he  replied. 

And  in  the  tone  and  earnestness  spoke  all  the  regard 
and  esteem  of  a  stanch  and  sincere  friend. 


352 


A   Dash  for  a  Throne 


"  What  do  you  say  to  that,  Minna? "  I  asked  as  they 
drove  off. 

"A  happier  mistake  was  never  made,  but  I  don't 
want  him  to  do  it  again.     The  only  throne  I  care  for  is 
won  now,"  and,  reaching  up  on  tiptoe,  she  put  up  he  • 
face  to  mine  for  a  tribute  of  my  loyalty,  and  I  paid 
willingly. 


THE    END 


A     000127501     5 


